Domingos Quina, the comeback and the Rotherham United private friendly

Domingos Quina during his solitary Millers outing, at Blackpool

FORGOTTEN man Domingos Quina could be about to pull on a Rotherham United shirt for the first time since suffering an injury less than a fortnight into his loan spell at AESSEAL New York Stadium.

The Watford attacking midfielder cut short a stint in LaLiga with Elche to join the Millers in the last few hours of the January transfer window.

He had made just one brief substitute appearance, at Blackpool 11 days after his arrival, before being hit by a knee issue that kept him out of the first-team picture for the next seven matches leading up to the international break.

He is closing in on a return and may feature in a behind-closed doors friendly tomorrow as Rotherham look to have him ready for Championship duty when they resume their second-tier schedule at Hull City on April 1.

Manager Matt Taylor can’t wait to welcome back the former West Ham United youngster for whom the Hornets paid a seven-figure in 2018.

“We need players on the pitch who can do something a little bit different to the norm, hence why we brought Domingos to the club,” he said. “He gives you another way to beat the opposition.

“His absence has been a real shame. It was a more serious injury than we thought at the time.

“To go into the final eight games with him hopefully in a playing capacity gives the squad more strength in depth.”

The Millers travel to League One opposition for the private contest and Taylor plans to give game-time to members of his squad who are short of league action.

“The match is going to be important for those players who haven’t had the consistent match minutes they would have wanted,” he said. “We’ll try to get them as close to 90 as we can.”

The senior group were given several days off at the start of the break and then came together again to prepare for tomorrow’s fixture.

“After that, they’ll have the weekend off and then we’ll have a full week’s preparation for Hull,” Taylor said.

If the friendly comes slightly too soon for Quina, he is still expected to train the following week and be in contention for the Tigers clash.

“He has a real chance of being available after the international break,” Taylor said.