Rotherham United's victory in the Jersey Mike's Trophy has been overshadowed by injuries to two key forwards. Ewan Otto and Fabio Tavares were both forced off before half-time in the 1-1 draw at York City, which Rotherham eventually won 5-4 on penalties.
Manager Alex Bruce confirmed the nature of the setbacks after the match. "It looks like it's a thigh for Ewan," Bruce said. "With Tavs, it's his Achilles." The loss is a major blow for a side sitting 14th in League Two with nine points from seven games.
Otto suffered his thigh problem during a tackle, while Tavares damaged his Achilles upon landing after a challenge. Their early exits left Bruce with a reshuffled attack for the remainder of the group-stage tie. Jili Buyabu and Paul Mullin scored in regulation time, with Mullin also converting in the shoot-out triumph.
The absences compound an existing selection crisis in attack. George Sebine and Klaidi Lolos are already sidelined with calf and thigh injuries respectively. That leaves only Paul Mullin and Tom Bradshaw as the club's fit central strikers for the immediate future. Otto, a two-goal performer this season, will be particularly missed.
The treatment room at Roundwood is busy. Jamie Jellis has a calf issue and Lenny Agbaire is nursing a hamstring problem. Brandon Cover and Kieran Ngwenya are away on international duty and will miss the next two fixtures. There was some positive news, however, as Joe Rafferty returned from a back issue and Marvin Kaleta came back after a hamstring concern.
With top scorer Mullin leading the line with three goals this term, Rotherham must now handle a packed schedule with a depleted squad. Their next test is a home League Two fixture against Crewe Alexandra on Saturday. Fans can check the full upcoming schedule on the club's fixtures page and view the first-team squad status here. The Millers will hope their injury luck turns quickly as they aim to close the six-point gap to the top of the table.
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