Why Matt Hamshaw would love to leave Jordan Hugill out of a Rotherham United team

The manager intends no slight on the veteran centre-forward who has defied an ankle injury to keep putting himself out there in the Millers' cause in the midst of a striker shortage.

But he knows that if Hugill spends more time on the bench it means that the crisis is easing and the likes of star man Sam Nombe are finally spending more minutes on the pitch.

Hamshaw, who has been without record signing Nombe, Martin Sherif, Kion Etete and Josh Kayode, highlighted the predicament in the aftermath of last Saturday's 3-1 home loss against Huddersfield Town.

“I've spoken openly about the difficulties we've had,” he said. “I ain't coming out here to criticise Jordan Hugill, I'm not. I just keep having to roll him out – and that is the frustration.

“Jordan can't keep playing 90s, 90s, 90s. He can't.

“To get the best of him, you need to start him in the odd game, you need to bring him on in others, Because, certainly in the last half an hour of games, when crosses are coming into the box, he'll be a threat.”

Nombe made his return from a quad problem as a 59th-minute substitute against Huddersfield and bagged the Millers' solitary goal in added time with a deadly strike.

The hitman – who has been a prolific scorer since his manager's appointment – is set for more League One game time at Bolton Wanderers on Boxing Day, but is again likely to be on the bench as Rotherham ease him back into action.

Hamshaw said: “I've said what a big player he is. We can't just start him for short-term gain.

“I've said that every decision I make here has got to be in the long-term interests of the club. Some people don't like that.

“I got a bit of stick for bringing him on after an hour on Saturday, but I can't just keep throwing him out there and expect him to be all right. He's just coming back.

“I've been saying for the last few weeks, we're struggling in the final third. Sam's that important to us, we need to nurture him. We need to monitor him, we need to make sure he's right.

“He came on on Saturday and he had our only shot on target. When he's on the pitch, you can see a different mindset within the group.”

Etete also featured as a sub against Town, following a quad complaint of his own, but Sherif and Kayode have remained unavailable.

Thirty-three-year-old Hugill has soldiered on, and he’s likely to lead the line again against Bolton. However, his figures of one goal in open play in his last 34 third-tier matches have led to the Millers lacking a cutting edge

“I've been saying for the last few weeks, we're struggling in the final third,” said Hamshaw who plans to add more firepower to his squad during the January transfer window.

Loanees Etete and Sherif could go back to parent clubs Everton and Cardiff City respectively in the new year because of their poor fitness records.

The boss remains at a loss to explain why Rotherham have been hit by so many absences this term but says that other clubs have endured similar problems.

“Is it bad luck? I don't know,” he said. “Do the players do things right? I don't know. Every manager I speak to has the same issues.

“When you lose big players, no matter who you are, it has an effect. If Man City lose (Erling) Haaland, they can't replace him. If I lose Nombe, I can't replace him.”