Rotherham United hope for EFL green light to bring in new player

It was confirmed this week that attacker Andre Green is out for a year after snapping his achilles tendon. Three other first-teamers, Cameron Humphreys, Tyler Blackett and Shane Ferguson, have just undergone surgery and a fourth, Jamie Lindsay, has yet to play this season.

In light of Green's season-ending issue, the Millers have contacted the EFL to request that they be allowed to bring in a reinforcement outside of the transfer window even though they have already submitted a full 25-man squad list to the second tier's ruling body.

Any new arrival would have to be a free agent as loans aren't permitted, said manager Matt Taylor.

“The club are in discussions just to see what we can and can't do,” the boss told the Advertiser. “I think you do get an opportunity, potentially, if a player is out for a whole season and there is no chance of him featuring. Andre's is a 12-month injury.

“We're hopeful of some positive news. If that happens, we'll look to move pretty quickly.”

The EFL aren't commentating on Rotherham's case but their charter doesn't rule out the Millers adding to their numbers.

Normally, out-of-window changes can be made only when there are less than 25 names on a squad list and a team want to sign an out-of-registration player or when someone is already registered to a club but isn't on the squad list.

However, the EFL say they will also give consideration “in other truly exceptional circumstances”.

Making Rotherham's case, Taylor said: “We're consistently naming a bench that isn't filled. It's been short by a number of bodies at times and within the bodies on there, there are a couple of young players as well.

“We're looking at options and hopefully we'll be granted an opportunity to improve the squad. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next week or so.”

The 23rd-placed Millers are in action tonight at AESSEAL New York Stadium against Coventry City and head to Hillsborough on Sunday to face derby rivals Sheffield Wednesday who will have new manager Danny Rohl taking charge of his first home match.

Centre-half Sean Morrison and midfielder Hakeem Odoffin are due to make their returns from calf and hamstring complaints respectively against the Sky Blues but Taylor will still go into the South Yorkshire showdown with more than a half a side missing.

“I'm past being disappointed with what we encounter," he said when he addressed the unprecedented injury problems that have ravaged the opening quarter of the campaign.

Last Friday's rained-off home clash with Ipswich Town will now be played on Tuesday November 7.