New progress report on Rotherham United missing men Cameron Humphreys, Tyler Blackett and Shane Ferguson

Centre-backs Cameron Humphreys and Tyler Blackett and winger Shane Ferguson are closing in on comebacks, although boss Leam Richardson says they aren't yet ready for competitive action.

“They're out on the grass unopposed,” he said. “They're going through their rehab stages and it's week by week at the minute. “None of them are at the levels that we need them back at.”

Humphreys and Blackett have been out since September and October respectively after undergoing operations on hamstring injuries while Ferguson has had three rounds of surgery on hernia issues and hasn't played at all this season.

Richardson is keen to have them in the selection frame but is putting no exact timescale on their recoveries and is mindful not to push them too hard too soon.

“You have to be really careful when it comes to time frames on them in terms of pressure from staff going into the players,” he said. “We're very conscious of the length of time they've been out.

“The quicker they're added back to our squad, the better we will be.”

Rotherham are low on centre-backs, with Grant Hall and Daniel Ayala sidelined along with Humphreys and Blackett, and also have problems out wide as, in addition to Ferguson's unavailability, Andre Green is out until next season and loanee Fred Onyedinma has gone back to parent club Luton Town.