Rotherham United team news: Reinforcements coming closer, but pair facing March lay-offs

Automatic promotion-chasing Wrexham away is a tough League One fixture at the best of times, and the Red Dragons had the lift of a late win at Huddersfield Town in midweek.

But the Millers go into the game on the back of consecutive victories for the first time in 2025.

If they were hoping for further encouragement on the injury front, though, Joe Rafferty apart, the news was all about players getting closer to full fitness, rather than reaching it now. And there was bad news on Alex MacDonald and Sean Raggett.

"Joe Rafferty was back in training yesterday (after a virus)," said Evans. “He's lost a little bit of weight but it was good to see Joe back on the grass.

"He looked fresh, eager and ready, he'll train again today.”

But whilst the defender has a chance of playing in north Wales, others will have to wait.

"Liam Kelly's back on the grass (after a calf injury) and he'll train today but probably in all honesty it'll be Monday before he comes back in for a full week's training ahead of our game on Saturday week,” said his manager.

"Dan Gore (fractured metatarsal), we're just waiting on Man United.

"I think Alex MacDonald (groin) and Raggett (Knee) we can probably say are not going to play in March, which is a blow for both those lads and a blow for us.

"But the other side of the coin is we just keep focussed on the boys we've got available for selection.

"Zak Jules has had a scan, he'll miss tomorrow but perhaps he'll be available for next Saturday. It's a grade one (hamstring tear), which can be seven to 14 days and he's a quick healer.

"Last week I gave him plaudits for getting out there against Bristol Rovers.

"That's a loss to us but we've never worried about the ones we've not got, we've worried about the ones we've got."

After Wrexham comes a blank midweek, home games against Exeter City and Wycombe Wanderers, then an international break caused by Bolton Wanderers' international call-ups to nurse more bodies back to fitness.

"Let's go to Wrexham and get a real positive result, then we've got a free week on the training ground, which because of the limited numbers, because of injuries, we need it,” said Evans.

"Let's get to next week with Joe back available, Kelly back available, a full Rafferty back available, then it's two home games, Saturday, Tuesday, including (a game against) a team I think will end up getting promoted, Wycombe Wanderers."