Could depleted Rotherham United bring in free agents? Here's Alex Bruce's answer

Alex Bruce has ruled out the prospect of adding reinforcements to his injury-hit squad as he bids to lead Rotherham United away from the lower reaches of League Two.

The Millers have been rocked by a multitude of absentees, with captain Joe Rafferty becoming the latest victim as he suffered a serious thigh issue during last week's clash at Swindon Town.

Boss Bruce dismissed any chance of signing free agents to bolster his depleted group, and revealed that incomings would have to wait until the new-year transfer window.

"No, I can't bring any bodies in between now and January," he said.

The head coach is facing a touchline ban following his second dismissal of the season, at Swindon, and he has until Monday to respond to an FA charge that was made public this afternoon.

He acknowledged that he had been in the wrong as he protested in the wake of Dominic Iorfa's red card in the second half, but stressed that his actions were borne out of frustration at too many questionable moments from officials hampering his sides' hopes of climbing higher than their present 22nd spot.

"I will fight my case and we will take it from there," Bruce said. "Obviously, things haven't been going the way we want it in terms of the last 10 games or so (no wins). I do think the performances in a lot of those games have been better. One thing that hasn't helped us is a couple of the refereeing decisions."

The FA said in statement: "Alex Bruce has been charged with misconduct. It is alleged that in the around the 79th minute he used insulting and/or abusive words towards a match official and acted in an improper manner by kicking a water bottle."

Against Shrewsbury Town at AESSEAL New York Stadium last month, an offside goal for the visitors was allowed to stand in a 3-3 draw.

At Swindon, Rotherham also had Jili Buyabu dismissed, for elbowing an opponent, in a 2-1 loss, with the winning Town goal coming from the free-kick conceded by Iorfa's red-card foul that was taken from the wrong place.

"I had no qualms about the sending-off for Buyabu," Bruce said. "It was a moment of stupidity. I think Iorfa's (a trip when he was the last defender) was touch and go.

"The one thing the referee has to do when he sends a team down to nine men is get his decision absolutely bang on. I think it was a grey area, to say the least.

"What disappointed me in that incident was you can clearly see that the free-kick was taken at least eight yards further forward than it should be.

"Now, I don't like making excuses, but when a player can move the ball eight yards further forward and then bend it straight in the top corner from that position to effectively cost us the game, surely you can understand my frustration.

" Just like you can understand my frustration the week before where the referee doesn't see an offside goal for Shrewsbury - clearly a yard offside at the back post - which costs us the chance of winning.

"So, in a week, the officials have cost me a lot of points. I did kick a water bottle in frustration by what I saw at Swindon - I will hold my hands up. But there was reason for it. Sometimes, the emotion of the game and the circumstances around it need to be taken into consideration, too."

The Millers head to League One Bromley this weekend painfully low on numbers as they kick off their FA Cup campaign.

Bruce ran through the long list of players in the treatment room, and he is also without the suspended Buyabu, Iorfa and Kian Spence for the first-round tie.

"As it stands, we've got Fabio Tavares, with his ruptured Achilles tendon, out for the season," he said. "We've got Ewan Otoo out for the next three/four months with his thigh. Joe Rafferty is out for four to six months - the season, really - with his thigh. We've got Jamie Jellis out for six to eight weeks with a torn meniscus that he's just had an operation on. Ossama Ashley, with his plantar fascia, is out for six to eight weeks."

The boss also revealed that top scorer Paul Mullin is suffering from illness.

Rotherham aren't in league action again until the trip to Grimsby Town on November 23 when none of the men mentioned in Bruce's list will be available.

"We just have to cope with all the injuries, it's as simple as that," he said. "We'll roll our sleeves up, we'll keep going, and I've got confidence in the players who are fit to go and get a few decent results."