Azerbaijan
Burkina Faso
Chinese Taipei
Nigeria
Saudi Arabia
South Africa

Preview: Rotherham United vs. Burnley - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 16 April 2023, 12:48
Rotherham United will continue their battle against relegation from the Championship when they welcome already-promoted Burnley to South Yorkshire on Tuesday night.

The home team are currently 18th in the table, three points ahead of the relegation zone, while Burnley are top, 11 points clear of second-placed Sheffield United with five games left.

Match preview

Rotherham United will enter Tuesday's contest off the back of a 2-0 home loss to Luton Town on Saturday, with the result leaving them in the relegation mix entering the final straight.

Matt Taylor's side have picked up 45 points from their 41 league matches this season, which has left them 18th in the table, just three points clear of the relegation zone, so they will certainly be looking over their shoulder at a vital stage of the campaign.

The Millers finished second in League One last season to earn promotion back to this level, so finishing 21st or higher would go down as a successful campaign.

Rotherham have only won one of their last six league matches, which is slightly worrying form considering their position in the table, and they will now be taking on the best side in the division.

Taylor's team have picked up 29 points from their 20 home league games this term, but they will be welcoming a Burnley outfit with the best away record in the division, securing 40 points from 20 matches.

Burnley secured promotion back to the Premier League with a 2-1 success over Middlesbrough on April 7, and they are now closing in on the title in England's second tier.

Indeed, Saturday's goalless draw with Reading left them 11 points clear of second-placed Sheffield United with five games left, leaving them in a commanding position when it comes to winning the league.

The Clarets have won 26, drawn 13 and lost two of their 41 league games this term to collect 91 points, and they are unbeaten in England's second tier since the start of November, which is an indication of the size of the task facing Rotherham in Tuesday's contest.

Burnley were relegated from the Premier League last season, but they have been able to bounce back at the first time of asking, and it will be fascinating to see how the team perform next term if Kompany remains as head coach, which is far from certain considering his success at the helm.

The Clarets have won each of their last four matches against Rotherham, including a 3-2 success in the reverse game at Turf Moor back in November, with their last loss against the Millers coming in May 2004.

Rotherham United Championship form:

L

L

D

W

D

L

Burnley Championship form:

W

W

D

W

W

D

Burnley form (all competitions):

W

L

D

W

W

D

Team News

Burnley will be without the services of their leading goalscorer Nathan Tella, with the on-loan Southampton attacker picking up an injury in the early stages of the clash with Reading.

However, Benson Manuel's late withdrawal was due to cramp, and the Belgian is expected to be available for selection on Tuesday night.

Kompany made wholesale changes to his side against Reading on Saturday, but the majority of their key players should return here, with Ashley Barnes, Jack Cork and Arijanet Muric set to be among those to start.

Rotherham, meanwhile, will be missing Conor Washington, Viktor Johansson, Bailey Wright, Grant Hall, Sean Morrison and Ben Wiles for Tuesday's contest.

Head coach Taylor is expected to resist the temptation to shuffle his pack following the defeat to Luton, with a 3-5-2 formation set to include Jordan Hugill in the final third of the field.

However, there could be a change in a wide area, with Domingos Quina potentially coming in for a start, while Oliver Rathbone will also be in the manager's thinking when it comes to potential alterations.

Rotherham United possible starting lineup:

Vickers; Peltier, Humphreys, Blackett; Harding, Lindsay, Coventry, Fosu, Quina; Ogbene, Hugill

Burnley possible starting lineup:

Muric; Roberts, Harwood-Bellis, Beyer, Maatsen; Cullen, Cork, Brownhill; Gudmundsson, Barnes, Foster

We say: Rotherham United 1-2 Burnley

Burnley are closing in on the Championship title, and we are expecting them to win on Tuesday night. Rotherham also need the points in their battle against survival, but we are finding it difficult to back against the Clarets, who should welcome back their key players for this contest.

Previews by email

Top News

3 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Turkey will be without the services of both Caglar Soyuncu and Enes Unal for this summer's European Championship, with the pair forced to withdraw from the preliminary squad. 3 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Turkey head coach Vincenzo Montella named a preliminary 35-man squad for this summer's European Championship, with the group needing to be cut to 26 before the start of the competition. 3 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to lead the Portugal line in Tuesday's international friendly with Finland. 3 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have reportedly stepped in to prevent one of their players from participating at the Olympic Games. 3 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The first of Portugal's three pre-Euro 2024 friendly fixtures will take place in Lisbon on Tuesday evening, with Finland making the trip to Estadio Jose Alvalade. 3 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Internacional will hope to increase their chances of making it to the next round of the Copa Sudamericana when they travel to face Real Tomayapo on Wednesday. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have apparently received a boost in their pursuit of a highly-rated midfield target, as one of his fellow suitors have hit the pause button on their pursuit. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona's decision to part ways with head coach Xavi could reportedly benefit Joao Felix's chances of staying with the Catalonian giants for next season. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Still waiting for their first slice of continental stardom, England's latest quest for European Championships supremacy is almost underway, and the level of expectation has hardly weighed heavier on the shoulders of Gareth Southgate's crop. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Huachipato can progress to the next round of the Copa Libertadores when they host Gremio at Estadio CAP on Wednesday. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Romania will play the first of their two pre-Euro 2024 friendly matches on Tuesday evening, with Bulgaria their opponents at Stadionul Steaua in Bucharest. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Antoine Griezmann is reportedly free to leave Atletico Madrid for just £12.8m this summer, with a number of MLS clubs said to be keeping a close eye on his situation. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Hungary travel to the Aviva Stadium to face the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday evening in the first of their two pre-Euro 2024 warm-up fixtures. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Kylian Mbappe's move to Real Madrid this summer has allegedly been 'signed, sealed and completed', with the European champions set to announce his arrival next week. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has left the door open for Toni Kroos to reverse his decision to retire from professional footballer this summer. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England head coach Gareth Southgate was without as many as seven players for Sunday's training session as the Three Lions prepare to face Bosnia-Herzegovina in Monday's friendly. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has insisted that he is not to blame for the club's big-money moves for the likes of Antony and Casemiro during his time at Old Trafford. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Switzerland will play the first of their two pre-Euro 2024 warm-up fixtures on Tuesday evening, with Estonia their opponents at the Swissporarena in Lucerne. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona are under pressure to make some first-team sales during this summer's transfer window due to their ongoing financial issues, and a number of high-profile players have been linked with exits. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Before their respective Euro 2024 campaigns take precedence, Austria and Serbia commence their preparations for the tournament on Tuesday, meeting in Vienna for an international friendly. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has confirmed that he wants to bring a new central midfielder to Old Trafford during this summer's transfer window. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Before attempting to upset the Euro 2024 Group C apple cart, Slovenia play their first of two warm-up friendlies on Tuesday, hosting Armenia at the Stozice Stadium. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa have reportedly joined the race for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Preparations for Euro 2024 are in full swing for Gareth Southgate's England, who are being put through their paces at St George's Park before jetting off to Germany for the latest edition of the continental championships. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic has revealed that no decision has been made on Jadon Sancho's future. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly assessing whether to make an approach for a defender who is currently plying his trade in Primeira Liga. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has claimed that Luke Shaw "will never be able to play 60 games in a year" due to the severe leg injury that occurred earlier in his career. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has revealed that he wants to bring a centre-back, central midfielder and centre-forward to Old Trafford during this summer's transfer window. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The season is over and while the transfer window doesn't technically open until June 14, clubs across the UK and Europe are free to get deals in place ahead of next season. 2 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Atletico Mineiro vs. Bahia (Sunday, 8.00pm) Atletico Mineiro host second-placed Bahia in Sunday's round seven Brasileiro encounter at Arena MRV.