Ollie Rathbone and the way forward to the end of the season for the talented Rotherham United midfielder whose fitness has to be assessed before every match
ROTHERHAM United are putting their trust in Ollie Rathbone as their star man plays through the pain in his bid to help the club safeguard their Championship status.
The midfielder — given the skipper’s armband and described as “a talisman” by manager Matt Taylor — has been managing a long-standing groin niggle that is requiring regular assessment.
The Millers are wary of asking too much of the 26-year-old, who has remained in outstanding form in spite of his predicament, and are banking on him telling them if he needs to take a break from the action.
Rathbone has sat out just one game — the trip to Coventry City back in October — and has started every league match since even though the problem has flared up again in the last few weeks.
“He’s mature and experienced enough to be honest with us,” Taylor said. “It’s not a new injury he’s experiencing for the first time and just finding out about. He knows his body better than anyone and knows what’s needed.
“This groin issue has been a complaint for a number of months if not a couple of seasons now. That tells you we can rely Ollie in terms of the information he gives us. He’s been excellent with his dialogue.
“He’s captain. He won’t put himself out there if he can’t quite do the job we need him to.”
Rotherham hope to nurse Rathbone through to the summer when he can do more strengthening work on his area of discomfort.
Taylor says there is no suggestion so far that the player might have to go undergo surgery in order to be given a clean bill of health.
The former Rochdale man, who moved to AESSEAL New York Stadium in 2021, played at Swansea City on Monday night and is hoping to be in the side for Saturday’s home clash with Queens Park Rangers.
The Millers are going easy on him in training as they seek to keep the load on his groin to a minimum.
They would prefer to be without him for one game now as a precaution rather than risk him breaking down and facing a more protracted spell on the sidelines. He was brought off in the second half at Reading on February 14 after reporting he was feeling sore.
“The moment it starts hampering his mobility and performance we have to look to protect him,” Taylor said. “We have to understand we can’t put him out there if he’s in pain. We’re having constant communication.
“We’ve all seen him play, he’s involved in everything good that we do. We want him on the pitch but we don’t want to lose him for a longer period of time. He is a talisman for us.”
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MATT Taylor is glad Ollie Rathbone is already a Miller.
Because the manager reckons the midfielder is close to becoming the type of player Rotherham United could only dream of buying.
“He can move, he can open up a moment,” Taylor said of the midfielder who won League One promotion in his first year in South Yorkshire and is now catching the eye in the division above.
The boss believes Rathbone, a product of Manchester United’s youth system, is only two things short of being one of the second tier’s elite performers.
“I want even more from Ollie’s assist ratio and goal ratio,” Taylor said. “If he adds that to his game, he’s a Championship player on another level to what we can obtain.”
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A PAIR of Rotherham United new boys have quickly become members of the Ollie Rathbone Fan Club.
Since their January arrival, Tariqe Fosu and Conor Coventry have both played alongside the midfielder who has been the Millers’ best outfield performer this season.
Fosu has spent most of his time on the wing but moved into the middle of the park and set up a goal for his teammate in the 2-1 victory over Sunderland last week.
“Ollie is very energetic,” the Brentford loanee said. “We linked up really well. He’s done really well in the last few games.”
Coventry, who left West Ham United to come to AESSEAL New York Stadium until the end of the season, has had an even closer look at Rathbone, having partnered him in six successive matches.
“The energy he puts in is amazing,” the Hammers prospect said.
“Because he is everywhere, sometimes you just have to work off him and sweep up behind him. He works his socks off.”