Aiming to further narrow their gap to safety at the bottom end of the League One table, Shrewsbury Town will travel to the New York Stadium on Saturday to take on Rotherham United.
The visitors moved up to 23rd spot and remained seven points adrift of safety with a return to winning ways last time out, while their hosts dropped back down to 15th place following a defeat at the weekend.
Match preview
![Rotherham United manager Steve Evans during the EFL Sky Bet League 1 match between Wycombe Wanderers and Rotherham United at Adams Park, High Wycombe, England, on 24 August 2024. [on August 25, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/34/steve-evans.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Rotherham United manager Steve Evans during the EFL Sky Bet League 1 match between Wycombe Wanderers and Rotherham United at Adams Park, High Wycombe, England, on 24 August 2024. [on August 25, 2024]")
© Imago
Rotherham United head into the weekend aiming to bounce back to winning ways in League One and climb towards the top half, having suffered back-to-back defeats across league and cup action in the last week.
Following a poor start to their bid to win immediate promotion back to the Championship this season, sitting on just 24 points from 21 outings at the turn of the year, the Millers began to correct their form in January, picking up four victories and 13 points from a run of six games.
Following a lone defeat away at Burton Albion, that improved month culminated in a comeback 2-1 home victory over strugglers Cambridge United thanks to second-half goals from Mallik Wilks and Hakeem Odoffin, before they faced a tough trip to league leaders Birmingham City last weekend.
Despite going ahead through Sam Nombe at St Andrews, Steve Evans's side were unable to make it back-to-back wins as Jay Stansfield turned the game on its head with a second-half brace, before they hosted fourth-tier Bradford City in an EFL Trophy quarter-final tie on Tuesday.
That contest also ended in defeat for the Millers as Richard Smallwood netted the only goal with a penalty, and now sitting 15th in League One but only two points outside of the top half, Rotherham United will aim to bounce back on Saturday and restart their climb towards the right end of the table ahead of the run-in.
© Imago
They face a tricky test at the New York Stadium, though, with the visitors travelling in an improved vein of form in their survival bid.
Gareth Ainsworth arrived as Shrewsbury Town manager in late November with the side sat on just eight points from 15 outings, having won just two of those and suffered 11 defeats, and they have since added 15 more points to that tally in 13 further attempts.
Just two of those 15 points have come away from home for the Shrews, though, with their two most recent trips resulting in 1-0 defeats to promotion-chasers Stockport County and Charlton Athletic in late January.
Aiming to bounce back from those losses, Ainsworth's men most recently hosted Mansfield Town at the weekend and made a crucial return to winning ways, despite being 1-0 down and down to 10 men at the interval, as John Marquis levelled the scores and George Lloyd netted the decisive goal just after the hour mark.
That victory saw Shrewsbury Town move back off the foot of the table, but still sitting seven points adrift of safety, they know they must correct their away form and continue their improvement on Saturday to stand a chance of avoiding relegation this term.
Team News
![Hakeem Odoffin (22) sprints forward with the ball during the EFL Sky Bet League 1 match between Wycombe Wanderers and Rotherham United at Adams Park, High Wycombe, England, on 24 August 2024 [on August 25, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/34/hakeem-odoffin.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Hakeem Odoffin (22) sprints forward with the ball during the EFL Sky Bet League 1 match between Wycombe Wanderers and Rotherham United at Adams Park, High Wycombe, England, on 24 August 2024 [on August 25, 2024]")
© Imago
Rotherham United will head into the weekend without key attacker and joint-top scorer Mallik Wilks, who was forced off early in their defeat to Birmingham City, while Jonson Clarke-Harris, who is also on seven goals for the season, has been sidelined in recent weeks.
Given those absences, Sam Nombe and Andre Green should partner up in attack with support from Oxford United loanee Louie Sibley through the centre.
Hakeem Odoffin, Cameron Humphreys and Joe Powell will hope to complete the midfield, while Zak Jules and Sean Raggett will continue to partner up in the middle of a back four.
Shrewsbury are without defender Aristote Nsiala, who will serve a suspension after being sent off against Mansfield Town last time out, while midfielder Leo Castledine remains sidelined by an injury.
In Nsiala's absence, George Nurse should come in to join Aaron Pierre and Josh Feeney in a back three with Mal Benning and Luca Hoole continuing in wing-back roles.
In their 3-4-1-2 setup, John Marquis and George Lloyd will again partner up in attack, having moved onto eight and five goals for the season respectively in last week's win.
Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Phillips; Rafferty, Raggett, Jules, James; Odoffin, Humphreys, Powell; Sibley; Green, Nombe
Shrewsbury Town possible starting lineup:
Blackman; Feeney, Pierre, Nurse; Hoole, Gilliead, Gape, Benning; Perry; Lloyd, Marquis
We say: Rotherham United 1-0 Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town certainly look rejuvenated and improved under Gareth Ainsworth, but they are yet to fix their issues away from home and could fall just short in another tight contest given the quality in the hosts' squad.
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Sam Varley
