Leam Richardson on how many players Rotherham United could sign this month

With his squad he inherited from Matt Taylor bottom of the Championship and ravaged by injuries, the head coach wants to be active in his recruitment before the end of the month.

The 44-year-old, who has led the Millers to a three-match unbeaten second-tier run in his opening month in charge, said: “One, two, three, four, five bodies to help us keep moving forward. We want to be competitive. It's an unforgiving league.”

Rotherham are seeking another good result to close the seven-point gap to safety when 19th-placed Stoke City are the visitors to AESSEAL New York Stadium on Saturday.

Richardson has already revealed a new centre-half is a priority target and he also wants to inject some extra firepower into the Millers who have the third-worst scoring record in the division, ahead of only Sheffield Wednesday and Queens Park Rangers.

“We want to represent ourselves well every time we take to the pitch, which we are doing at the minute,” he said. “We need bodies, we need quality, we need goals adding to the team.”

Rotherham this week lost the services of right-back/wing-back Dexter Lembikisa and winger Fred Onyedinma who returned to parent clubs Wolverhampton Wanderers and Luton Town respectively.

They could give Peter Kioso his first game-time this weekend since they recalled the right-back from his loan spell at League One Peterborough United.

Richardson hasn't given up on the Millers' first recruit of January coming through the door before the Stoke clash, although there is no guarantee that will happen.

“I think everybody at the club would,” he said when asked if he'd like to see a new face in place by Saturday. “We're having conversations regularly. It's going to be a daily thing. We won't just sign anybody.”

Wing-back Cohen Bramall has hurt his ankle and Rotherham have their fingers crossed he will be given the all-clear to feature against Stoke.