Birmingham City v Rotherham United: New Broadfoot injury adds to Millers' woe

Alan Stubbs - Championship fixture list is not doing the Millers manager any favours at present.

The Millers, who head into tonight’s game at Birmingham City on the back of a five-match winless Championship sequence, have been handed some further unwelcome news with experienced defender Kirk Broadfoot having suffered a fresh injury setback.

Manager Alan Stubbs has revealed that the Scot, outstanding in the Millers’ escape from relegation last season, is struggling with a foot injury, having only recently recovered from a back problem which had sidelined him since mid-August.

It is an untimely blow for United, who equalled a 95-year record on Saturday when they lost at Norwich City – to record their sixth successive league away defeat at the start of a season for the first time since 1921.

The fixture list is also not giving Stubbs’ side any breaks, with play-off candidates Blues – whose takeover by Chinese firm Trillion Trophy Asia has been completed – and Reading next up after the weekend loss at new leaders Norwich.

On the situation with Broadfoot, Stubbs – whose side have conceded 19 goals in six away games in 2016-17 – said: “It has been frustrating for him.

“He has got over his back injury and (now) he has been getting a pain in his foot.

“He has been to see a foot specialist and we are hoping that it just settles down. The surgeon seems to think that it will do.

“We may need to look at providing Kirk with some orthotics to try to alter the balance of his foot and raise the instep to try to take the pressure off where he is feeling the pain.

“He is not training. We’ll have to wait and see how it settles.”

Birmingham defender Ryan Shotton is a doubt with a quad injury and Robert Tesche is out with an ankle problem while Paul Caddis is recovering from shoulder surgery.

Dominic Ball is likely to shake off a knock but Tom Adeyemi is a doubt for the Millers.

Last six games: Birmingham DWDDWL; Rotherham DLLLLL.

Referee: C Kavanagh (Lancashire).

Last time: Birmingham City 0 Rotherham United 2, September 26, 2015; Championship.