Millers skipper eyes fresh start

While the first-team has been champing at the bit for some competitive action, skipper Ryan Cresswell has been inching himself back to fitness from a troublesome back injury.

The problem has niggled him for much of the season and he had a couple of false dawns when he thought he was over it, only to break down again.

With five goals under his belt already and a commanding presence in both penalty boxes, it is vital the Millers have Cresswell fit and firing going into the busy Christmas period.

There's more chance of that now thanks to a combination of rest and treatment, although the squad's snow-hit training sessions haven't exactly helped matters.

Cresswell said: "My back is fine now. I've been seeing a specialist and he gave me the all-clear on Monday and a routine of stretches to do.

"I must admit that I have been too eager to play this season when I should really have rested.

"Now I hope I'm going to be OK and I've had the benefit of the Gillingham game being called off last week because it's given me an extra week to get ready.

"The training hasn't been ideal due to the weather being so bad.

"We were indoors on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday it was a case of blowing the cobwebs off and Tuesday was high intensity."

Cresswell and his team-mates will know this morning whether they'll have a game tomorrow and having sat out the last two weekends, the last thing they want is to lose a third.

"Having games called off back-to-back just kills you," said Cresswell. "No player likes to have games postponed.

"You just need to stay focussed and eat right, drink right and prepare for the match like you would any other."