Options for Steve Evans as Rotherham United treatment room empties

The Millers' treatment room has been a crowded one since the summer, with a number of key men out of action, but the injury situation has finally eased.

Attacker Mallik Wilks (hamstring) and centre-half Jamie McCart (calf) are ready to return for the League One clash with Lincoln City at AESSEAL New York Stadium after missing three and five matches respectively.

The only doubt is midfielder Liam Kelly who has been ill, but there is hope that he may make the squad.

“In terms of players being available for selection, we're in the best place we've been since the first few days of pre-season,” Evans said at a press conference this morning.

“Match fitness to go for 95 minutes ... I think not with three or four of them. But adrenaline often pulls you through in those situations.

“You've seen players come back from injury and the plan is for them to play for an hour, but they get that much into it that they play for longer.”

Wilks and McCart have been back with the main group at the club's Roundwood base since late last week.

With the former in the frame and strikers Jonson Clarke-Harris and Esapa Osong also putting recent injuries behind them, Rotherham, who are in need of a win after losing four of their last five league outings and slipping to 19th spot, suddenly look much stronger up front.

“Mallik and Jamie are training,” Evans said. Whether we select them, we'll see. “Both lads are walking around with a smile on their face, which indicates to me that they know they're available.”

Liam Kelly, one of the players affected when a sickness bug hit the camp prior to their November 23 loss at Crawley Town, was absent from Roundwood yesterday

“He had a little bit of illness,” Evans said. “He's yet to really recover from what I think was Covid. Him and Sam Nombe were the two worst affected, for sure.”

The boss stopped short of definitely ruling out the 34-year-old for the Imps match.

“We're expecting to see Liam back in today," he said. “We'll see how he is.”

Rotherham had no match on Saturday because it was an FA Cup weekend and they are out of that competition.