Following a week of cup fixtures, Rotherham United return to league action against Accrington Stanley and you can find all of the key information ahead of the clash below...
Fixture: Rotherham United V Accrington Stanley
Competition: Sky Bet League One
Date: Saturday 16th November 2019
Kick-Off: 3:00pm
Venue: AESSEAL New York Stadium
Referee: D. Handley
Rotherham United
Form: LWLWWL
League Position: 10th
Top Scorer: Matt Crooks (8)
It’s been a mixed week for Millers fans who saw Michael Ihiekwe, Freddie Ladapo and Matt Crooks fire Rotherham into the Emirates FA Cup Second Round with a comeback victory over Maidenhead United, but they also bowed out of the Leasing.com Trophy following a 3-0 loss to Lincoln City in the final group stage game.
The Millers have performed exceptionally better on the road this season with seven victories from eleven, but Paul Warne will be hoping to kick start a run on home soil this weekend.
The Rotherham boss might finally have a fully fit Adam Thompson and Clark Robertson back at his disposal, but defenders Richard Wood, Joe Mattock and Trevor Clarke will all be unavailable for the clash.
Accrington Stanley
Form: WLLWDL
League Position: 19th
Top Scorer: Colby Bishop (7)
After exceeding expectations last campaign and proving many people wrong with a respectable 14th place finish, Stanley haven’t had as much joy this time round thus far, but their 2-0 win over Ipswich Town showed they are capable.
However defensive weaknesses have been a major issue for Accrington, conceding twice as many goals as Rotherham and letting in two or more goals in half of their league games, which is a major problem.
Stanley will be without defender Mark Hughes who is banned following his red card in the 2-0 FA Cup defeat against Crewe, whilst Aji Alese and Joe Bursik are away on international duty with England Under-19s and England Under-20s respectively.
One to watch: Colby Bishop
In what has been a gloomy campaign thus far, Colby Bishop has undoubtedly been the shining light.
After signing for Accrington in the summer from National League North side Leamington, the striker has somewhat flourished in Sky Bet League One.
Firing in seven goals this season, the 23-year-old has formed a good partnership up front with fellow strike partner Offrande Zanzala, with Bishops strengths his ability in the air and hold up play whilst Zanzala is a quick forward player who loves running in behind; the perfect partnership on paper.
Bishop’s best performance this season actually came in Accrington’s most important victory of the season where they defeated league leaders Ipswich Town 2-0, with the former Notts County player firing in a first-half brace to win the game.
He gave up his job as a learning mentor and PE teacher at a local primary school upon securing his move to Accrington, and it’s pretty safe to say he won’t be returning to the world of education anytime soon as he looks to propel Stanley up the table.
Talk
Paul Warne: "I am looking forward to being back at home and I am hopeful that because of the season we have had people can appreciate how tough this league is. There is no guarantee whoever you play at home that it will be a walk in the park, because it definitely is not.
"We definitely need all the fans to get behind us and really shout the team on this weekend. It's a big game for us and it would be a massive three points."
Coverage
iFollow Millers will be providing full 90-minute commentary from the match, whilst the Rotherham United Twitter feed will be providing live updates for the entirety.
Reaction will be available on the official website post-match, as well as on iFollow and social media.