Bury vs Rotherham United. Sky Bet League One.
The Energy Check Stadium at Gigg LaneAttendance4,630.
Sunday 24 December 2017 15:26, UK
Eoghan O'Connell is suspended when Bury face Rotherham on Boxing Day.
O'Connell was sent off for two bookable offences in last Saturday's 3-0 loss at Peterborough. The Shakers could make changes following that defeat, but they cannot call on Jermaine Beckford with the striker likely to miss the rest of the season following knee surgery.
Midfielder Danny Mayor started for the first time since his knee injury, while Stephen Dawson came off the substitutes' bench following a knee injury and may come into contention to start.
Rotherham will welcome back Kieffer Moore and Richard Wood from suspension. Striker Moore has served a three-match ban and should return in attack while Wood has completed a one-match sanction.
Boss Paul Warne may keep faith with his central defensive pairing of Will Vaulks and Semi Ajayi, though, following Saturday's win over MK Dons where they both scored. Darren Potter (Achilles) and Jon Taylor (knee) will continue to miss out, but Warne has no fresh injuries.
Bury are winless in their last four league games with Rotherham (D2 L2) and can only boast one win in their last seven Football League meetings (D3 L3).
However, the Millers have not beaten Bury away from home at this level since a 2-0 victory back in September 1986, winning just two of all their 14 third-tier visits (D5 L7).
This will be the fifth Boxing Day meeting between the two sides, and the first since 1979 - the Shakers have won each of the last three, whilst losing the first ever Boxing Day meeting with Rotherham 6-1 back in December 1952.
The Millers have won three of their last four Boxing Day matches, drawing the other.
