Steve Evans post Rochdale...
Millers boss Steve Evans revealed that Matt Tubbs missed today’s game with Rochdale after falling ill this morning.
Evans already had to reshuffle his injury-plagued pack in light of the news that he would be without three of his loan players, with the Tubbs blow arriving as late as this morning.
Newcastle loanees James Tavernier and Haris Vuckic had to sit out of the FA Cup second round tie, as did Nouha Dicko after it was confirmed that they would not be permitted to feature against Rochdale.
“It was half eleven this morning when I heard,” admitted Evans. “He would have played today and it’s meant a few changes.
“After losing Tubbs we had to play Kieran Agard up top who’s not played there for a long time”
The absence of Tavernier also left a vacancy at full-back, which meant Mark Bradley and Richard Brindley were called upon to make up the Millers’ right flank:
“We had to play Richard Brindley on the right wing and he’s only played one reserve game there a year ago,” added Evans.
“Mark Bradley was very tired because we were forced to play him after just two training sessions.”
The Millers boss could only name four substitutes, but there was a boost which saw long-term absentee David Worrall return to first-team duties for the first time since scoring the winner at Crawley Town.
“David Worrall was on the bench but he wasn’t going to be able to come on but it was a case of four subs being better than three when Tubbs was ruled out,” continued the Millers boss.
Pablo Mills did not recover in time from a knee-injury that he sustained in the midweek reserve game with Scunthorpe United, but the injury isn’t expected to be serious.