Rotherham United ready to turn to Hakeem Odoffin in centre-half crisis

Hakeem Odoffin celebrates scoring for Rotherham United against Blackburn Rovers at AESSEAL New York Stadium in the Championship in August. Picture: Jim Brailsford

HAKEEM Odoffin is set to step into the breach if Rotherham United are hit by any further absences in the injury-hit heart of their backline.

The Millers have only one fit central defender in Sean Morrison - and even he is only just returning from a month on the sidelines - and have been using right-back Lee Peltier as an emergency stand-in.

With Cameron Humphreys, Tyler Blackett and Grant Hall all in the treatment room, Odoffin is next up, says manager Matt Taylor.

The 25-year-old, available again after hamstring issues, normally operates in midfield but played at the back at times when he was with Hamilton Academical and has also had a brief taste of the role with the Millers as well.

Morrison, aged 32, and Peltier, 36, are expected to partner each other in Wednesday night's home clash with Coventry City but the former in particular isn't in line for a full game in his first match back after a calf problem.

“Will Sean be able to play 90 minutes? Probably not. Will Pelts be able to play 90 minutes? Probably not,” Taylor said.

“Haks can play centre-half. He's done it previously in his career. He's probably had more success with Rotherham higher up the pitch, but he performed there to a certain extent against Millwall.”

That outing came on September 20 and was Odoffin's last appearance before heading into the Coventry encounter.

The Millers used the international break to familiarise the 6ft 3in former Wolverhampton Wanderers youngster with the demands of performing at the back.

“It's important we have a couple more options in that position so we had a week where Haks was able to get acclimatised to it,” said Taylor whose own playing career was spent as a centre-half.

“It's different pictures and different patterns and your body's in a different direction. When you're at the back end of the pitch everything's in front of you; in midfield everything's around you.”

Odoffin had scored twice in two games before his hamstring trouble first flared at Sunderland in August and Taylor would much prefer to select him as a midfielder.

“If he starts higher up I want him breaking into the box, pressing well and getting a goal return,” the boss said.