The significant change at Roundwood as Rotherham United tackle injury woes
ROTHERHAM United have made adjustments to their training programme in a bid to reduce the number of injury issues that have affected them throughout the League One campaign.
Matt Hamshaw's newly-built squad has managed to climb into the top half of the table despite being hit by player absences that have, at times, run into double figures.
One of the amendments has seen the midweek day off at their Roundwood HQ recently switch from Wednesday to Thursday to avoid too much strain being put on bodies as weekend matchdays approach.
“We've monitored the loadings a lot more,” manager Hamshaw said. “We're trying to manage things differently. I've changed the schedule a little bit and I think that's reinvigorated everybody.”
A number of other EFL clubs are known to have made a similar alteration to their timetable.
The Millers head into Saturday's home clash with Wycombe Wanderers – another in-form side – seeking to stretch their unbeaten third-tier sequence to nine games.
They look capable of pushing themselves into play-off contention, particularly when they have a full complement of players. For now, they have no fit senior centre-forwards and are still without three of their centre-halves.
“Winning games, drawing games and being competitive breeds confidence,” Hamshaw said. “It's pleasing from my point of view and the staff's that the hard work that we're putting in every day is paying off.
“But we're not there yet, and I keep saying that to the lads. We keep working our damned hardest to make sure that in every game we play we're competitive and the lads know what it means to wear this badge.
“I don't like us losing duels, I don't like us losing battles. I just feel like everything's improved.”
The run Rotherham are on and the form they have shown with a threadbare squad is credit to the character in the camp, and it begs the question, how high could they go with a fully-fit group?
“Look, I don't know,” said Hamshaw, keen to play down the prospect of a top-six place. “We had a little period of most players being available. It didn't half help me out with options.
“I think about these last two games we've had (away draws at Luton Town and Reading) – we're in the game, but we couldn't then bring on players further up the pitch. We had that luxury at Barnsley (1-0 victory in late October) and you saw the difference it made.
“At Reading, I thought we'd played some really good stuff in the first half. Second half, we probably needed a more potent threat up front.”
Striker Jordan Hugill played until half-time in that match despite a swollen and bruised ankle and was then replaced by Ar'Jany Martha who is far from a central frontman but almost snatched a late winner.
“Ar'Jany could have scored at the end – and he's well capable of doing a job up there,” Hamshaw said. “But, at the same time, I think he's better in that pocket or off the left or right flank.”
The manager praised his troops, saying: “The commitment, the effort, how it's come together ... every day in training, they're picking something up and, from a coaching point of view, that's amazing.
“I'll be happy, obviously, when I've got everybody back.”