Matt Taylor has had an indifferent start to life as Rotherham United manager after joining from Exeter. He has taken charge of eight games, winning just two, drawing two and losing four of those.
The Millers suffered injury time heartache on Wednesday night against another former Premier League side in Burnley. They were 2-1 up until Cohen Bramall's late red card appeared to sway things. Manuel Benson and Halil Dervisoglu struck in 10 minutes of stoppage to secure three points for the Clarets. Taylor will be hoping his team bounce back against a Norwich City side who are massively out of form.
The Millers sit 14th in the table going into this clash and could go within four points of their opponents with victory.
The Canaries go into this with only one win from their last eight matches and it is fair to say that manager Dean Smith finds himself under serious pressure. Despite their woeful form, Norwich still find themselves in 5th going into this clash and will be backed by a 2,000+ away following as the Norfolk side descend on South Yorkshire. Their were promising signs from their midweek goalless draw with QPR, with the Canaries having much more possession and shots than their opponents.
TEAM NEWS
The hosts almost have a full strength squad to choose from, with full backs Peter Kioso and Tolaji Bola their only major absentees. Kioso has only played once for the club since his summer move from Luton. Georgie Kelly has scored twice in five league games from the bench, with both goals coming at home, so he will be looking to force a start. Chiedozie Ogbene will also be looking to keep his place in attack after returning from injury and scoring in Wednesday night's Burnley defeat. Cohen Bramall is likely to be suspended for this clash due to his red card, with Lee Peltier and Wes Harding recognised full backs and either could fill in at left back.
Norwich do have an injury worry, with American Josh Sargent currently looking 50/50 to make the game having been out of their last two games with a calf injury. Sargent has eight goals so far this season in the league but fears of his absence have been allayed due to the recent goalscoring of the likes of Teemu Pukki, Gabriel Sara and Aaron Ramsey, with the Aston Villa loanee scoring twice in their 3-1 victory against Stoke last weekend. Striker Adam Idah has played seven minutes this season and he remains a long term absentee, as does midfielder Jacob Sorensen and youngster Jon Rowe.
LIKELY LINE UPS
Johansson; Norton-Cuffy, Peltier, Hall, Wood, Harding; Barlaser, Wiles, Rathbone, Ogbene; Washington.
Gunn; Aarons, Hanley, Gibson, McCallum; Hayden, Gibbs; Cantwell, Ramsey, Gabriel Sara; Pukki.
KEY PLAYERS
Rotherham United - Ben Wiles
A mainstay in this Rotherham side, Wiles has only missed 31 minutes of league action this season, when he was substituted in his sides 4-2 loss against Hull City. The 23 year old is Rotherham born and bred, and joined the club as a child before signing his first professional contract back in 2017. Over 150 appearances later he is seen battling for every ball in the heart of the Millers' midfield. He often leads the side in Richard Wood's absence and scored a well taken header against Burnley on Wednesday night which was his first goal of the season. Not known for his heading, or indeed his goalscoring, he is a tough tackling midfielder with a good range of passing and who has also been known to often try his luck from distance, proving he can hit the back of the net with a superb strike against Sutton United in the Papa John's Trophy final back in April.
Despite the recent form of strike partner Josh Sargent, the Finn will always be considered a threat to any Championship defence. His ability to get past defenders and finish cannot be underestimated and will be Rotherham's biggest threat. He bagged 26 goals when Norwich were last in the Championship in 20/21 so sides are no doubt aware of what he possesses. The 32 year old has seven league goals this season and is only one goal worse off than Sargent, but with his imminent return the pair could be a huge threat in the second half of the season. Pukki's six assists also proves his selflessness in front of goal and shows he likes to get his teammates involved in the scoring.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
Norwich City are the visitors to Rotherham's AESSEAL New York Stadium, which is in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
What time is kick off?
The game will kick off at 15:00 BST on Saturday November 5th.
How can I watch?
The match is available via each sides iFollow for overseas fans for a price of £10. If fans can not attend then they can follow the game via local radio.