Matt Taylor thinks Rotherham United over the worst as they continue to struggle against injury and illness ahead of replayed Cardiff City game

With 46 points on the board and three games to play, back-to-back Championship seasons for the first time since 2014-17 are tantalisingly close for the Millers.

But with Thursday's visitors Cardiff City able to leapfrog them with victory in the re-arranged game, nothing can be taken for granted yet, so Taylor will probably have to ask quite a few players who are way below peak fitness to grit their teeth and do a job for the team.

Rathbone, Viktor Johansson, Tyler Blackett, Lee Peltier, Cameron Humphreys and Jordan Hughill all fall into that category, whilst Ben Wiles has only played five minutes (plus stoppage time) since surgery in the new year.

Rathbone has been dealing with a groin problem for months but his physical reaction to Saturday's last-gasp defeat to Bristol City has been encouraging.

"He's got a good chance," said Taylor. "We were quite pleased with his pain levels post-game on Saturday.

"He was able to get out of bed on Sunday, let's put it that way, so he's improved slightly in terms of his physical state.

"We've got to make a decision in terms of whether he starts or whether he can impact it again from the bench but we're hoping and praying he's turned a little bit of a corner in relation to that injury."

Goalkeeper Johnasson rushed back from a shoulder problem at the weekend after his No 2 Josh Vickers picked up an injury against Burnley.

"It wasn't a surprise but we were so pleased he got through the game and performed well again with no ill-effects to that shoulder.

"He's still barely training but we're still finding out a little bit more in terms of what game scenarios produce in relation to that injury.

"We're certainly not out of the woods and we're not comfortable with it in any way but we are probably a little bit more comfortable than we were on Thursday and Froday of last week when we were making a decision on whether to bring in an emergency loan goalkeeper."

And as Taylor pointed out: "It's not just injury, it's a bit of illness as well. Shane Ferguson hadn't trained before the weekend, (Peter) Kioso didn't even travel.

"But I think we will be stronger than we were going to Bristol City."

The original game was abandoned in March after a freak deluge of rain left the New York Stadium pitch unplayable early in the second half with the Millers 1-0 down.