Neil Warnock speaks to www.themillers.co.uk...
Rotherham United manager Neil Warnock says he is likely to be without defender Lloyd Doyley for the rest of the season but is hopeful on the fitness of energetic midfielder Lee Frecklington for Saturday's meeting with Nottingham Forest.Frecklington, who has been instrumental in the revival under Neil Warnock, was withdrawn from Saturday’s 4-0 win over MK Dons, but the Millers boss insists that the substitution was just to protect the former Peterborough United man.
“It was only a precaution and if there is any doubt I think it is important that we don’t do anything drastic,” he told www.themillers.co.uk.
The 30-year-old will face a late fitness test ahead of the hosting of Forest at AESSEAL New York Stadium and Warnock is unsure whether the midfielder will be available.
“We’ll leave it up to Lee and he’s going to have a run on Saturday. A couple of days makes all the difference,” he continued.
“You just don’t know and he really just needs to get it warm but at this time of the season with five games of the season to go, you sometimes have to take a gamble, but possibly not tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, Doyley has been omitted from the squad in recent weeks after sustaining a knee injury that ruled him out of action and is likely to sit out the rest of the 2015/16 campaign following examination by a specialist.
“We sent him to a specialist and this knee injury is no clearing up so he’s had to have it cleared out. He’s very happy with what he’s done but he’ll struggle to get back before the end of the season.”
Warnock has however, received a selection boost with the return of former Arsenal winger Jerome Thomas, who he believes has the ability to make a real difference for the Millers at AESSEAL New York Stadium.
“It’s a big boost, especially because we have got three out of five home games. I like him at home because he changes a game and he can do something different and its good to have him back on board.”
The Millers boss finished by paying tribute to his medical staff and is keen to ensure standards don’t drop ahead of the Sky Bet Championship run-in.
“We’ve worked hard at the rehabilitation and the stretching which you’ve got to do at this level and you have to keep your best players fit if you can,” Warnock added.
“All credit to the medical side and we need to try and do that for the next five games to help us get over the line as soon as possible. We don’t want to take a break or drop standards before then."