Why Rotherham United have a blank weekend coming up in their relegation fight

The drop-zone Millers had been due to travel to Wigan Athletic on Saturday February 14 but the Latics will now be in FA Cup fourth-round action at Premier League leaders Arsenal on that day.

Rotherham have two fixtures to arrange after the January 4 home clash with Mansfield Town and the January 10 trip to Bradford City were frozen off.

However, they can't play either club on their blank Saturday because both already have matches lined up.

Mansfield head to top flight Burnley in the FA Cup and Bradford have a home third-tier fixture against Peterborough United.

Meanwhile, manager Matt Hamshaw takes his Millers squad to promotion contenders Stockport County tomorrow acknowledging supporters' frustrations over a run of seven straight defeats.

“I appreciate that the fans aren't happy,” he said. “I'm certainly not happy with how games are going. The only way to get back is to start winning games, to start giving the players confidence.”

Rotherham went nine league matches without defeat to move within striking distance of the top six before their recent streak sent them shooting down to 22nd spot in the table.

They should have several injured men - including top scorer Sam Nombe - making returns at Edgeley Park and one of the most highly-rated attacking teenage prospects in English football, Harry Gray, is in line for his first action since his loan switch from Leeds United.

That is giving Hamshaw reason for optimism as he seeks to get his rebuild of the club back on track.

“When we do have our best players out there, they've shown they can get in and around that play-off area,” he said. “I know people will be going ‘He's got no idea, he's deluded’, but that is who we are.

“As I've said before, I'm here for the long term, I was never here for the short term. I don't sit here thinking I've cracked it, I don't sit here getting too down. I've got to remain level-headed and know what the plan is, know what the focus is.”

Stockport are in fourth spot so the fragile Millers face a daunting test at Edgeley Park.

“It's been a brutal last few weeks for everybody involved, me as well,” Hamshaw said. “We started off the season not so great, then we got ourselves in a good position to kick on and we've let that go. That hurts me.

“The team that got us into that position, we've lost a lot of those players during the losing run. The positives are that we can now reinforce the team (during the transfer window) and that some of these players are coming back.

“I've always said, judge me when I've got my best team. We can't keep doing this - we can't keep losing players, we can't keep getting these injuries. It's tough to take.”

The boss was fuming after the most recent reverse, a 3-0 Vertu Trophy exit at Huddersfield Town on Tuesday evening when his weakened side conceded twice before the break and didn't have an attempt on goal until after the interval.

“The first half the other night is probably the angriest I've been in all of my life,” he said. “I don't care who plays, there should be an appetite to work hard, to get about your business, to win your tackles, to break up play up.

“The quality side of it, that'll be what it is - sometimes you have a great game on the ball, sometimes you don't - but the fundamentals of working hard and being a team player have to be there and they weren't in evidence.

“That is what I've stressed to the players in the days since, because that isn't who we are.”