Following contrasting starts to their League One campaigns after suffering relegation last time around, Rotherham United and Huddersfield Town will square off in a key contest at the New York Stadium on Saturday.
The visitors have kicked off their bid with a perfect record in their opening three league outings, while the hosts are yet to put a notch in their wins column.
Match preview
![Rotherham United manager Steve Evans during the EFL Sky Bet League 1 match between Wycombe Wanderers and Rotherham United at Adams Park, High Wycombe, England, on 24 August 2024. [on August 25, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/34/steve-evans.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Rotherham United manager Steve Evans during the EFL Sky Bet League 1 match between Wycombe Wanderers and Rotherham United at Adams Park, High Wycombe, England, on 24 August 2024. [on August 25, 2024]")
© Imago
Rotherham will continue their search for a first victory of the League One season at the New York Stadium on Saturday, having experienced a disappointing start to life back in England's third tier.
Following a dismal Championship campaign last time around, the Millers headed into the new term under the management of Steve Evans with their sights set on an immediate promotion, but they have only earned a single point from their first three outings, initially suffering an opening-day defeat away at Exeter City.
An EFL Cup first-round triumph over Crewe Alexandra then followed, but the Millers were unable to build a winning run on their return to third-tier action, going on to play out a goalless draw at home to Bristol Rovers before suffering a 2-0 defeat away at Wycombe Wanderers last weekend, as Cameron Humphreys and Kieran Sadlier found the net for the hosts in the final 20 minutes.
Evans's concerns were only worsened in midweek, as the South Yorkshire outfit most recently visited fourth-tier Fleetwood Town in an EFL Cup second-round tie and dropped out following a 2-1 defeat, having led early through Jamie McCart only for Ryan Graydon to turn the game on its head with a first-half brace.
Now turning their focus back to their league pursuits, having only managed a draw from their first three games while failing to score, Rotherham United will be desperate to kickstart their campaign with a much-needed victory on home turf.
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That will be no easy task, though, as the visitors make the trip across Yorkshire aiming to continue their perfect start to the third-tier campaign.
Under the new management of Michael Duff, Huddersfield Town also dropped into League One this season with the aim of making an immediate return to England's second tier, and they have kicked off in impressive fashion, marking their return to the division following a 12-year spell in England's top two leagues with three straight wins.
The Terriers began with 2-0 and 2-1 triumphs over Peterborough United and Stevenage respectively, either side of a 3-0 beating of Morecambe in the EFL Cup first round, before welcoming Shrewsbury Town to the John Smith's Stadium last weekend.
They would succeed in making it three straight league wins and four in all competitions in that contest, having stood strong to see out a 1-0 victory after Callum Marshall broke the deadlock in the 20th minute.
While their winning streak has since been ended by an EFL Cup defeat to Walsall in midweek, eventually losing 3-2 despite leading by two on the hour mark, Huddersfield Town return to League One action with a perfect record intact and will aim to further establish themselves in the leading pack with a statement victory over their fellow promotion-hopefuls at the weekend.
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Team News
![Hakeem Odoffin (22) sprints forward with the ball during the EFL Sky Bet League 1 match between Wycombe Wanderers and Rotherham United at Adams Park, High Wycombe, England, on 24 August 2024 [on August 25, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/34/hakeem-odoffin.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Hakeem Odoffin (22) sprints forward with the ball during the EFL Sky Bet League 1 match between Wycombe Wanderers and Rotherham United at Adams Park, High Wycombe, England, on 24 August 2024 [on August 25, 2024]")
© Imago
Steve Evans may opt to make several changes to the Rotherham United starting XI which featured in their 2-1 defeat to Fleetwood Town in midweek, with defenders Sean Raggett and Joe Rafferty likely remaining sidelined.
The Millers do still have an abundance of options across the pitch, though, and Reece James and Zak Jules will compete to come into a back four while Shaun McWilliams and Liam Kelly will fight for midfield spots after Joe Powell and Hakeem Odoffin were preferred on Tuesday.
Evans could revert to a front two with either Jordan Hugill or Sam Nombe coming in to join captain Jonson Clarke-Harris up front, while Joseph Hungbo and Mallik Wilks will both hope to feature and offer further attacking support.
Huddersfield Town should travel to the New York Stadium with a relatively clean bill of health on Saturday, and Michael Duff may revert to the same starting XI from last weekend's triumph over Shrewsbury Town.
Matty Pearson is eligible to feature in defence despite getting a red card in their cup defeat to Walsall, although he may have to settle for a place on the bench with Tom Lees, Michal Helik and Brodie Spencer having been preferred in the league, while Josh Koroma staked his claim for a starting spot in attack by scoring on Tuesday.
He could again partner West Ham United loanee Callum Marshall, while former Rotherham United man Ben Wiles will continue in the midfield, likely alongside Jonathan Hogg and Antony Evans.
Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Phillips; MacDonald, McCart, Humphreys, James; Odoffin, McWilliams, Powell; Wilks; Clarke-Harris, Nombe
Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Nicholls; Lees, Helik, Spencer; Sorensen, Wiles, Hogg, Evans, Miller; Koroma, Marshall
We say: Rotherham United 1-2 Huddersfield Town
The two sides dropped into League One this term with similar levels of quality and ambitions for promotion, and we anticipate a tight contest at the New York Stadium.
It is the visitors who head into the game with all of the momentum, and they may fancy themselves to make it four league wins on the bounce against a Rotherham side who are yet to get up and running.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
