Rotherham United primed for a fresh and confident strikeforce of Will Grigg and Freddie Lapado

The duo look set to be paired together for Saturday’s League One clash with Cambridge as top scorer Michael Smith is suspended.

Ladapo and Grigg, who have both played second fiddle to Smith this season, have played together in the cup competitions and both scored in the FA Cup win over Bromley before the international break.

“We can play well together,” Ladapo said.

“It needs the team to adjust to the pair of us as well. We have things that we’re good at and some things that we’re not so good at. We are different to what Smudge is like as a player.

“We’ve got different types of strikers here. There’s different heights, different speeds, different thinking. Some like to be in the box, some like to be targetmen. We all have our different traits. It’s a long season and we’ll all be needed to chip in.”

It could be easy for Ladapo to be sulking this year as the club’s record buy has not had it all his own way.

After starting the season in the team and scoring on the opening day against Plymouth illness and injury saw him lose his spot in the team.

With him, Smith, Grigg and youngster Josh Kayode vying for two spots, competition for places is high.

But Ladapo is relishing the challenge.

“I do enjoy challenges,” he added. “Through no one’s fault, this season I haven’t had the proper chance to fight and be in competition with everyone else. I feel like I’m here now.”

“You maybe look at others and think you should play more than them, but you don’t look at them and have any ill will towards them.

“We all talk in the changing room or in the gym about personal things, about anything. There’s never anything wrong between us. It’s just competition on the pitch.”