Southampton v Rotherham United: Millers struggle to take flight in soaraway Championship - but here's why Matt Taylor is not complaining

For Rotherham United, clocking up the air miles is not a realistic option. Amid their much-talked about travails away from the AESSEAL New York Stadium, their itinerary is not offering much respite, quite the opposite.

After appointments at Millwall and Cardiff in early autumn, the Millers now face a 400-mile round-trip to Southampton for their first-ever match at St Mary's.

You have to go back in March 1966 for the club's last league game by the Solent.

The length of travel is another factor to add to the degree of difficulty that Matt Taylor faces in trying to keep the Millers out of the bottom three come May.

Today’s opponents have also had the benefit of an extra 24 hours to prepare for today’s meeting.

Taylor said: "We could do without it, but that is the league and part and parcel of it. Every manager I speak to has the same problems, but their injuries don't affect them as much and maybe they can fly to and from games and stay over for the rest of the week.

"But that's why we work so hard. I'd rather take going to Cardiff and Southampton the following week and going to Millwall on a Wednesday night than being in another position. That's why I came to this club, to manage at Championship level.

"Last season gave me another opportunity to do that. We've got to show a little bit more collectively as a club - and myself included - to show that real desire which got us to where we are, which is still in this Championship, an incredible league to be part of."

Taylor is under the pump ahead of the game at in-form Saints, by virtue of five defeats in Rotherham's last seven fixtures.

Availability continues to be a major bugbear with Cohen Bramall (knee) being another injury doubt.

Taylor, already without Tyler Blackett, Cameron Humphreys and Sean Morrison in his backline, plus four midfielders, added: "I don't know the extent of it.

"It might be a 'hangover' issue after the Huddersfield game (when he received treatment). It was a collision rather than a muscular problem. It remains to be seen."