Another Rotherham United player out for the season
MARVIN Kaleta won't wear a first-team shirt again until next season after becoming the latest player to be sidelined for the rest of Rotherham United's League One campaign.
The summer signing was making good progress in his recovery from a hamstring complaint but broke down in training and returned to the treatment room.
“Unfortunately, he's out,” manager Lee Clark said. “He trained for a couple of days with the group and had a setback, which has made me really sad for the lad.”
The 21-year-old wing-back joins midfielder Joe Powell and goalkeeper Cameron Dawson in having to be a spectator as the 22nd-placed Millers try to escape the drop zone in the last month of the season.
Kaleta moved to AESSEAL New York Stadium from Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers and his first year in South Yorkshire has been plagued by injuries which have restricted him to just ten starts and nine substitute appearances.
His new problem is a recurrence of the hamstring issue he picked up at Burton Albion on February 17.
“He worked extremely hard to get back with us and was showing up well,” Clark said. “The lad's had a really tough time with injuries. We've got to get around him as the Rotherham family and make sure he's okay.”
Clark took the hot-seat on March 18, following Matt Hamshaw's sacking, and knew of of Powell's unavailability through hamstring trouble as he stepped into the hot-seat.
“I was aware of it, really, when I first came through the door,” he said. “It’s a big blow from what I saw on a lot of footage before I came in. Joe was a very impressive performer. He's someone I would have loved to have had available to us. That's not the case, and the lads who are available now get an opportunity that they have to take.”
Shop-stopper Dawson, who lost his starting role to Ted Cann in February, has been nursing a damaged shoulder for the last few months and has now undergone surgery. He was wearing a sling as he sat in the West Stand watching Saturday's 0-0 home draw with Stevenage.
“His season's over,” Clark said. “That opens the door for one of our young goalkeepers to get an opportunity to come and train with us and be involved in the matchday squad.”
Seventeen-year-old academy keeper Ben Childs was among the substitutes against Stevenage.