Preview:Rotherham United vs Port Vale - prediction, team news, lineups

Port Vale will raise the curtain on their first season back in League One on Saturday, when they travel to the New York Stadium to take on Rotherham United.

The visitors sealed promotion from England's fourth tier last time around, while their hosts head into their second consecutive third-tier campaign.

Match preview

Rotherham United will kick off their second straight season in League One and first full term under the management of Matt Hamshaw in search of a win on Saturday.

After suffering relegation from the Championship, the Millers endured a disappointing campaign last time around, failing to challenge for promotion back to the second tier and instead finishing 13th on 59 points from their 46 games.

Matt Hamshaw led the South Yorkshire outfit for the final four games of that term following the departure of Steve Evans, and has since been given the reins on a permanent basis, having rounded off the tricky season with a final-day 2-1 home victory over Peterborough United.

They now head into the 2025-26 edition of England's third tier on the back of a mixed pre-season schedule, having begun with victories over Parkgate, Bromley and Harrogate, only to fall to a 5-0 beating to neighbours Sheffield United and a 4-1 loss away at fourth-tier Accrington Stanley.

Still aiming to kick on and challenge at the right end of League One this time around, Rotherham United will bid to make a fast start with a home three-point haul at the weekend.

Their visitors, meanwhile, make the trip to Yorkshire aiming to mark their return to the third tier with an opening-day victory.

The 2024-25 campaign was a memorable one for Port Vale, who sealed promotion from League Two with an eventual second-placed finish having amassed 80 points from their 46 games to immediately bounce back from their relegation a year prior.

That came in their first full season under the management of Darren Moore, who took charge at Vale Park in the final months of their League One relegation in 2024, and he now leads them back into competitive action on the back of a mixed run of their own in pre-season.

After convincing victories over Kidsgrove Athletic and Bath City, the Valiants suffered a 2-0 loss to Birmingham City, before most recently visiting Altrincham on Tuesday and playing out a 1-1 draw with Ben Heneghan netting their leveller.

Port Vale will now bid to pick up where they left off last season and kick off with an impressive victory at the New York Stadium.

Team News

Rotherham United will be unable to call on defender Sean Raggett, who has missed pre-season through injury, while the summer has seen the likes of Cameron Humphreys, Jonson Clarke-Harris, Hakeem Odoffin, Andre Green, Dillon Phillips and Alex MacDonald depart.

Hamshaw has bolstered his squad, though, and the likes of Kian Spence, Josh Benson, Ar'jany Martha, Denzel Hall, Dru Yearwood and goalkeeper Ted Cann will all strive to earn competitive debuts for the Millers.

In the absence of departing captain Clarke-Harris, Jordan Hugill and Sam Nombe may lead the attack, with the latter having netted 14 league goals last term.

Port Vale's promotion-winning squad has also undergone changes over the summer, with Nathan Smith, Jason Lowe, Tom Sang and Ethan Chislett having departed.

Darren Moore has strengthened his ranks with additions of the likes of defenders Jordan Gabriel, departing Miller Cameron Humphreys and Liam Gordon, midfielder Jordan Shipley and attacker Ben Waine, while Marko Marosi will hope to earn a debut between the sticks.

Waine will compete for spots up top with Jayden Stockley and Lorent Tolaj, who led the squad with 15 goals last season.

Rotherham United possible starting lineup:

Dawson; Hall, Rafferty, Jules, James; McWilliams, Gore, Spence; Powell; Nombe, Hugill

Port Vale possible starting lineup:

Marosi; Humphreys, Hall, Debrah; Gabriel, Byers, Croasdale, Shipley, Headley; Tolaj, Stockley

We say: Rotherham United 1-1 Port Vale

Rotherham United will hope for a fresh start heading into their first full season under Matt Hamshaw, but their new-look squad faces a tough test against a Port Vale side coming up with momentum, and we anticipate a share of the spoils in South Yorkshire.

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