Concern over Joe Powell in Rotherham United drop battle

The midfielder was in obvious discomfort in the first half and failed to reappear after the interval as a 3-0 defeat saw the Millers slip two places in the table to 23rd spot.

They will be desperately hoping that the 27-year-old's issue is a minor one as they view him as a key figure in their battle against relegation and they have crunch games against other struggling sides on the horizon.

“It's a tight hamstring,” said manager Matt Hamshaw. “I don't know how long he'll be out for yet. He felt something. We'll get him scanned.”

Powell will be assessed by medical staff at the club's Roundwood base tomorrow.

Rotherham's crowded treatment room was beginning to empty but the potential loss of the former Burton Albion man had the boss cursing more bad luck.

“We get to a position where we're getting people back and then we get that,” he said. “We'll see what the scan says.”

Another midfielder, Kian Spence, had to depart proceedings against the Bluebirds in the 74th minute and Rotherham have their fingers crossed that his complaint isn't a serious one.

The summer signing, aged 25, had returned only late last month from a calf problem.

“I think he just cramped up,” Hamshaw said. “He had an injection at the beginning of this week and he's not trained a lot.”

The Millers had gone into the Cardiff clash having taken seven points from their previous three matches and boosted by four deadline-day signings and looked in a position to pick up another good result when the table-toppers' captain, Ryan Wintle, was sent off in the 20th minute

However, it was the visitors who kicked on, taking the lead only eight minutes after the dismissal and then adding two more goals in the second half. Rotherham's failure to up the pace against depleted opposition left Hamshaw questioning his players.

“That's the bit I've just asked them in the dressing room,” he said. "We're a new group coming together. I've said all along, there'll be bumps in the road. Cardiff played some really good football and I felt that we under-performed. I'd not seen this bump coming.

“Sometimes managers will see it through training in the week, but the training's been really good this week. Everything's been bright and positive and people have been on the front foot.”

The Millers have a blank weekend coming up but then head to Burton Albion, who are also in the bottom four, a week on Tuesday before a Saturday home derby with 20th-placed Doncaster Rovers.

Meanwhile, young striker Ben Hatton has joined Northern Premier League Division One East side North Ferriby on a month-long youth loan.

The 20-year-old is fit again after a serious hamstring issue and is in need of game time that he wouldn't get if he remained at New York.