Rotherham v Bristol City: Rested and revitalised Chiedozie Ogbene is key for Matt Taylor

If things had been different, the Rotherham United star could have entered the medical profession.

Ogbene, whose parents are nurses with his father still practicing in his home city of Cork, had been expected to become a doctor before football intervened. He previously studied sports injuries at a further educational college.

These days, it is Matt Taylor - his club manager - who is conscious of the importance of good care of an individual. Namely his key striker.

Despite missing five of Taylor's 11 games in charge thus far due to a hamstring issue, Republic of Ireland international Ogbene has still clocked up 54 appearances so far in 2022 for club and country amid an intense schedule.

His last game of 2021-22 was on June 14. His first in the current season was just a month and a half later on July 30.

That latter game saw the 25-year-old, switched to a central attacking role, start as he meant to go on with a fine goal crowning an electrifying opening-day performance against visiting Swansea City.

Taylor and everyone connected with the Millers will be hoping for a similarly high-velocity opening when the Championship resumes, again on home soil today.

Ogbene was the sole Millers player who was busy in the World Cup hiatus, making two appearances for Ireland in friendlies, the second of which was three weeks ago.

After a short break to recharge his batteries, he is back with his club. Explosive power players also need their rest and the hope is that Ogbene is suitably refreshed for the second half of 2022-23.

His importance to the Millers cause is inestimable. If anyone needs looking after, it is Ogbene.

Taylor said: "His schedule was slightly different to everyone else. He was our only player away with international duties, so in the first week when everyone was off and here, there and everywhere, he was out with Ireland and played the majority of minutes in the second game they played that week.

"We watched in the Malta game and then he had the week off in the following week and did not come to Cyprus (training camp).

"In the international weeks, he is the one guaranteed to be away on the international scene and it's important he rested physically and mentally and that he got a little bit of time to himself as well. Because he has produced performance after performance for us and at international level and is one of our main players moving forward.

"We have finally now had a bit of time on the training ground with him and he's incredibly athletic and wants to improve. That's a key aspect with all our footballers."

Like the Millers, Saturday opponents Bristol City have had just one player absent during the World Cup break. The individual in question being striker Antoine Semenyo, who featured twice from the bench for Ghana in the group stages. He is back available this lunch-time.

With next World Cup to be expanded to 48 teams, the potential is there for many more EFL teams to have players at the global football fest in North America in 2026.

Rotherham would quite like their own piece of that particular pie when it comes along. International recognition is certainly no double-edged sword for Taylor either.

He continued: "There's no bigger privilege and honour than playing four your country.

"Chieo is able to do that and continue to do that. We want that to happen to more of our players as it is recognition and reward for performances at a good level of football.

“And if players are playing well at Championship level, they have got a good chance of representing their national teams and Chieo is a good example of that at this moment. We want four or five players to be out every time."

While the club have not revealed which leading players they have offered fresh terms to, Taylor is the first to admit it is not 'rocket science' to deduce who they are.

Among that number are almost certainly Ogbene and midfielders Ben Wiles and Dan Barlaser, with the trio something akin to the club's 'family silver'. Keeping them is fundamental to their season's hopes.

Taylor said: "Discussions have been had with various players, for our intentions. We will keep on following that as best as we possibly can with hopefully some sort of resolution sooner rather than later.

"I am always confident, you have to be confident. They are good players for this level. For each, in different ways, we will (also) want more out of them for the second half of the season."