Rotherham United’s safety hopes hit by two more injuries

Leam Richardson's bottom-placed side have home games coming up on Boxing Day and Friday against Middlesbrough and Sunderland respectively before travelling to Blackburn Rovers on New Year's Day.

Hall and Peltier are major fitness concerns after picking up injuries in the 3-2 loss at Plymouth Argyle last weekend and missing yesterday's 3-0 loss at Leicester City.

Centre-half Hall, who has started only two matches and made four substitute appearances this season because of hamstring and hip trouble, has hurt his hip again.

Right-back Peltier, who is such an important figure for Rotherham, has a hamstring issue.

"We're still waiting to find out, said new head coach Richardson when asked if either player will feature in any of the next three matches. "We're waiting on medical bulletins on them. I'm not so sure."

The injury-hit Millers, without a win in their last 11 games, are nine points off the safety pace at the halfway stage of the campaign.

Successive fixtures at AESSEAL New York Stadium give them an opportunity to pick up favourable results and revive their fading hopes of staying in the division.

"We'll just try to give a good account of ourselves with a real honest show," Richardson said of the Boro contest which sees old boys Dan Barlaser and Matt Crooks back in S60.

"You're always looking forward to the next game. That's the best thing about football: there's another game around the corner. We're trying our best with the situation that we're in."

The boss is calling his players in for training on Christmas Day and is hoping memories of the last time the Teessiders came to New York - when Rotherham famously won 1-0 on May 1 to safeguard their second-tier status - will work in their favour.

"It could stir something up and give us a spark," he said. "Fingers crossed we can have a similar performance and result and it will be positive all round on Boxing Day."