Rotherham United will be keen to put midweek heartbreak at Burnley behind them as they host promotion-chasing Norwich City in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.
The Millers are winless in their last four and are beginning to slip back to a position where most expected them to be this season, whereas Norwich are firmly in the automatic promotion hunt despite only managing to get a point out of Queens Park Rangers on Wednesday night.
Match preview
© Reuters
After a 64th-minute strike from forward Chiedozie Ogbene, Rotherham were on their way to handing league-leaders Burnley their first loss in 16 second-tier fixtures before a Cohen Bramall red card and two stoppage-time goals from the hosts meant Matthew Taylor's side left Turf Moor with nothing to show for their efforts.
Once again Rotherham's defensive issues reared their ugly head and prevented them from collecting maximum points, with the Yorkshire-based club having now conceded 10 goals in their last four Championship games, a period in which they have gone without a win.
The Millers have largely struggled since the departure of former boss Paul Warne to Derby County, and look set to take part in their biannual Championship relegation fight once again as they attempt to avoid a widely predicted drop back into League One.
An encouraging sign for Rotherham that this season will not follow the pattern of previous second-tier campaigns is their respectable home record, with Taylor's men collecting 15 points from nine outings at the AESSEAL New York Stadium, which have included a 4-0 win over Reading and a 3-0 victory over Blackpool.
With Norwich, Sheffield United and Luton Town to come before the World Cup break, Rotherham face three sides currently occupying top-10 positions in the Championship, a fixture run which does not bode well for the team improving their poor form if current defensive performances continue.
© Reuters
Norwich played out their first goalless draw of the season with QPR on Wednesday night at Carrow Road, a result that leaves them fifth in the league standings and four points from Blackburn Rovers in second place.
Dean Smith's men have only recorded one win in their last eight Championship matches and know further failures to pick up points will see them dumped out of the top six before the campaign pauses in a week's time, with only three points separating themselves and Reading in 11th place.
A staple of Norwich's promotion pushes in past seasons has been the goalscoring of Teemu Pukki, with the Finland international this time around sharing the attacking burden with American Joshua Sargent, who has combined with the 32-year-old to provide 14 Championship goals so far.
Despite occupying a top-six position heading into the weekend, the East Anglian side possess a worse-than-average away record, having collected three points in only a third of their nine second-tier adventures on the road so far this season.
This weekend's clash with Rotherham and a home fixture against struggling Middlesbrough next week represent a real opportunity for Norwich to sustain their spot in the top six before the World Cup break and keep supporters confident of an immediate return to the Premier League.
Team News
© Reuters
Rotherham will be without left wing-back Bramall after he was sent off for two yellow cards in the latter stages of the defeat at Turf Moor on Wednesday night.
Taylor will also be unable to call on the services of midfielder Peter Kioso, who is a long-term absentee for the Millers with a groin injury picked up way back in August during an EFL Cup tie at Port Vale.
Norwich's leading scorer Sargent is a doubt for Saturday's match at Rotherham with a calf injury that has seen the American play no part in his side's last two fixtures.
Left-back Dimitris Giannoulis is expected to return to the matchday squad on Saturday after his rib injury, with the Greek international having featured just four times in the Championship so far this season for the Canaries.
Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Norton-Cuffy, Peltier, Hall, Wood, Harding; Odoffin, Wiles, Barlaser, Rathbone; Ogbene
Norwich City possible starting lineup:
Gunn; Aarons, Hanley, Gibson, Byram; McClean, Gibbs, Sara, Ramsey, Cantwell; Pukki
We say: Rotherham United 1-3 Norwich City
Norwich were held by a good QPR side on Wednesday night but will head to Yorkshire this weekend desperate for all three points in order to keep up with the form of their automatic promotion rivals.
Rotherham gave so much only to lose late on at Burnley in the week, and you feel another tough assignment against a good footballing team may prove too much for Taylor's men this time out.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Carter White
