'200 per cent more injuries than other clubs' - and a dire warning from Lee Clark if Rotherham United don't change

Clark took the hot-seat last month and inherited a double-figure casualty count that has gown even bigger since his appointment.

The crowded treatment room has been a major factor in the club's drop into League Two that was confirmed earlier this week.

Clark revealed today: “We have a fantastic club doctor (Subhashis Basu) here and he works for the EFL in terms of patterns of injuries. We were having a conversation. Our injury record - I think he mentioned a figure of over 200 per cent higher than any other EFL club. That is a horrific stat. You can never be successful.”

The figure, it must be pointed out, hasn't been officially confirmed.

Clark began his management at Huddersfield Town where things were very different.

The 53-year-old, who may may be offered a contract beyond his initial nine-match deal at ASSEAL New York Stadium, has called for a ”deep dive” into the medical problems afflicting Rotherham and warned of dire consequences if a remedy isn't found.

“If that was to be repeated again next season, you could be fighting a relegation battle in League Two,” he said. “That's the reality, that's the damning situation. Obviously, that has to be rectified.

“At Huddersfield, one of the biggest things for me - and Steve Black was my head of performance, top of his profession - was that we had the best injury record for soft-tissue injuries. That was a real pride for me and my staff.

“It allowed me to pick the best group and the best team week on week. The players were fit, they were robust. I could make changes during the course of the game - and not because of injuries.

“Most of the changes I've had to make since I've been here is because people cannot play a certain number of minutes. They're picking up an injury. At Huddersfield someone ran themselves into the ground for 70 minutes and then you put a fresh pair of legs on. I haven't been afforded that luxury here.”

Clark is frustrated by the number of injuries is he is having to deal with one and described the Millers' present circumstances as “a recipe for disaster”. He will look to improve the ruggedness of the squad if he remains at the helm.

“As a manager, in your recruitment you look at the history of the player, what's he like, the number of games he plays,” the boss said.

“That doesn't always bring a guarantee - because they could get a freak injury, they could break a leg, do ligaments or whatever - but in general terms it's a case of ‘Yeah, they're good, they're robust, they can play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday’. You're not worried about that load, they can continue to do it.”

Meanwhile, he called on his players to put in maximum effort in the final fixtures - starting with Saturday's trip to Leyton Orient - before a miserable campaign comes to a close on May 2,

“Win the next game, give everything we've got for the last four games,” he said of his message to the group.

“Everyone's got something to play for, whichever players are selected. Whether their futures or at this club or somewhere else, there will always be people (scouts) watching them. They'll be looking at what a player's mentality is like, what his attitude is like, in a time of trouble.

“It's easy to be a top-level player when things are going your way, it's about what are you like and how you react when they aren't.”