Rotherham United: Warne jokes he will try not to get too starstruck at MK Dons

Rotherham United's manager Paul Warne. Pic: Nigel French/PA Wire.

Warne takes his side to the MK Dons in League One for what will be their new manager Russell Martin's first home game in charge.

Martin, 33, spent eight years of his playing career at Norwich - the club Warne supports with a passion.

Warne joked he might wait until after the game before asking for Martin's autograph.

“I haven't met him before. I don't want to get starstruck too early!” Warne said.

“Hopefully I will get to speak with him after the game.

“He is really experienced, he is really well-thought of and he has played at a really high level, so he will understand the game.”

Martin has taken over a difficult situation at the Dons, who have lost their last six games in all competitions and are in a relegation fight.

They tested Bolton last week, though, and Warne is expecting a tough game.

“They are a really good footballing side, they have been playing with a diamond,” he added. “We have sussed out where we think their weaknesses are as they will have done to us.”

Warne has cleared up Trevor Clarke's situation after he was deemed unfit for international duty with the Republic of Ireland Under-21s, but then named on the bench for the Millers last week.

“We spoke to Ireland since the game before, he was injured, his ankle was sore, they had him scanned to prove our honesty,” Warne explained.

“That is fair enough. They wanted it for their own validity.

“He had a grade one damage to his ligament and he had treatment all week and improved. “We updated Ireland daily on his fitness. They had their first game and he was never going to be fit for that.

“He declared himself fit for our game at the weekend, they were fine with us using him.

“They did consider calling him up on the Sunday to join the squad for the second game, but they didn't see the point when they had called up a replacement.”

Clarke is set to be involved for the Millers, but Richard Wood and Joe Mattock are definitely out injured and Chiedozie Ogbene is suspended.