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

Rotherham United and Stockport County are eight places apart in the League One table ahead of Saturday's match at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.

Both teams have struggled to secure wins this season, as shown by neither team having more than one victory in their last five league fixtures before the weekend.

Match preview

Rotherham have not had the best start in League One this season, with Matt Hamshaw’s 18th-placed team sitting just outside the relegation zone.

While they have played one game fewer than some of the clubs around them, the Millers' two wins from seven matches outdo only the six teams below them in the table, emphasising the level of their challenge compared to other clubs in the early standings.

However, observant fans will note that two of their wins have come in South Yorkshire, where they beat Port Vale (2-1) and Exeter City (1-0) and they have also drawn with Wigan Athletic.

Heading into Saturday's match unbeaten at home, the hosts may feel confident before welcoming Stockport.

Recent encounters in South Yorkshire have favoured Rotherham, with the Millers claiming four points from their last six league home fixtures, though these matches are 13 years apart — a 4-0 victory in January 2011 and a 1-1 draw in December 2024.

Stockport secured maximum points in the teams' last meeting in April, defeating Rotherham 3-1 in gameweek 42 of the previous season, meaning that the last six encounters across all competitions have been split evenly, with two wins each for the teams and two draws.

However, Dave Challinor’s team enter this weekend having won just three of their eight games, with two victories coming within Greater Manchester.

One win in four away fixtures highlights a concerning record on their travels, though the Hatters’ only away defeat was to Plymouth Argyle, who beat them 4-2 at the start of the month.

The County responded to that 4-2 defeat by holding league-leading Cardiff City to a 1-1 draw, but another failure to secure a clean sheet sums up the away side's defensive difficulties.

Stockport have not prevented an opponent from scoring since their opening league victory over Bolton Wanderers at the start of August, and they have since gone 10 matches across all competitions without a shutout, a situation that threatens their bid to match last year's third-place finish or secure automatic promotion to the Championship.

The season is likely to bring more exciting twists, but Challinor will hope for greater control and more consistent performances to at least replicate last year's showing.

Rotherham United League One form:

Rotherham United form (all competitions):

Stockport County League One form:

Stockport County form (all competitions):

Team News

Tom Holmes, Denzel Hall and Kion Etete have not played for Rotherham since their win over Exeter in round seven, and the trio are uncertain to feature on Saturday.

Hamshaw's team then suffered a setback in the defeat away at Wimbledon, with Shaun McWilliams going off with an apparent injury after the hour.

With two-goal Sam Nombe still sidelined for the hosts, the Millers must find attacking solutions to replace their current top scorer.

However, Stockport have no such issues up top and have the in-form Kyle Wootton — who has scored three and assisted three — available for selection.

Although the County has no specific injury concerns, Tyler Onyango's availability is questionable after his late withdrawal due to an unspecified issue in the 1-1 draw with Cardiff.

Rotherham United possible starting lineup:

Dawson; Rafferty, Baptiste, Jules; Kaleta, Yearwood, Gore, Powell, James; Hugill, Spence

Stockport County possible starting lineup:

Addai; Olowu, Hills, Pye; O'Keeffe, Norwood, Bailey, Osborn; Diamond, Andresson; Wootton