Ruled out: The time frame for Rotherham United key man Sam Nombe's return
ROTHERHAM United are hoping that Sam Nombe will miss only a handful of League One matches even though their star striker has been hit by a new injury blow.
The 27-year-old, who was out for two months earlier in the campaign with a hamstring issue, is facing a second spell on the sidelines with the quad problem he picked up in training last week.
The Millers anticipate that he will be back in action before Christmas, which means he may be absent for only four third-tier games as Matt Hamshaw's men seek to continue their rise up the table.
An initial scan brought bad news but a further one this week has confirmed that the amount of time Nombe will spend in the treatment room is less than initially feared.
“We've had a second opinion,” manager Hamshaw said. “It's better than we first thought but, at the same time, it's going to be a number of weeks. Sam will do everything he can to get back quicker.”
Rotherham have a free weekend coming up in a fortnight when the second round of the FA Cup takes place, which will give the club's £1-million-plus record signing more time to work on his recovery without sitting out an extra fixture.
“We're fortunate, really, that we've got that break,” Hamshaw said.
No exact date has been placed on Nombe's return but he is a quick healer and returned ahead of schedule the last time he was unavailable.
The league matches he is likely to miss are Saturday's trip to Reading, the November 29 home date with Wycombe Wanderers, the December 10 visit of Blackpool and the journey to Plymouth Argyle on December 13.