More injury misery for Rotherham United after Tyler Blackett 'monstrous blow'

Tyler Blackett in action for Rotherham United at AESSEAL New York Stadium in the Championship clash with Bristol City before he suffered a bad injury in the closing stages. Picture: Jim Brailsford

ROTHERHAM United fear they will be without defender Tyler Blackett for several months after their injury curse struck yet again at AESSEAL New York Stadium last night.

The 29-year-old suffered hamstring damage during stoppage time of the 2-1 Championship defeat against Bristol City.

It came only 11 days after fellow centre-half Cameron Humphreys was ruled out until the new year with a similar problem and manager Matt Taylor described it as “a monstrous blow”.

The Millers now have three of their four senior centre-backs sidelined and the fourth, Grant Hall, is lacking match fitness having made his return from a July hamstring issue as a substitute only yesterday evening.

“It looked a bad one,” Taylor said. “It was a ‘popping’ action of the hamstring. It's not that different to the Cam one. The biggest thing is that we'll now lose Tyler for a number of months. It’s a monstrous blow.”

Blackett will undergo a scan to assess the extent of the problem and to put a clearer time frame on his absence.

The player had become a mainstay of the side since signing a one-year contract in the summer and he'd scored his first goal for the club with an 86th-minute equaliser against the Robins before disaster struck eight minutes later.

He was off the pitch and the Millers were down to ten men because they had used all five subs when City grabbed a winner in the sixth minute of added time.

“His partnership with Pelts (stand-in centre half Lee Peltier) and then Hally looked strong,” Taylor said. “Viktor(goalkeeper Johansson) has barely had a save to make against a good attacking team all night.”

Rotherham have been hit by injuries all season and already had a number of players in the treatment room before the latest setback.

They are in 23rd spot after ten matches and five points away from a place of safety.

When the Advertiser asked Taylor if he was confident he could revive the Millers' fortunes when the injury list has shortened, he replied: “That's the million-dollar question. When are we ever going to have all our men available?

“My worry about the quote that ‘We will be a good, solid, competitive team at this level when everyone is well’ is that it just doesn't happen and hasn't happened yet.

“We have to believe we can get closer to it and maybe withstand one or two injuries at a time. When the number is half a dozen or more, as it has been, we cannot withstand that pressure.”