Georgie Kelly and Grant Hall poised to miss the next month for Rotherham United

The pair are set to miss the busy festive period and then much of the rest of January after suffering calf and hamstring tears respectively.

"It's a kick in the gonads for both players and myself as a manager," said boss Matt Taylor whose Championship team kick off their holiday schedule at home to Stoke City on Boxing Day.

"I'd imagine both are out for a minimum of a month."

Both men have previously suffered torn hamstrings this season.

Kelly missed two games before the recent international break while Hall had only just returned to the first-team frame after also sitting out a couple of matches.

"You just have to dust yourselves down and get on with it," Taylor said.

"We'll support them through the next few days and then they'll get back to some sort of movement patterns.

"These are important players who have a big part to play moving forward."

Better news is that midfielder Ollie Rathbone's groin problem has cleared up and he is available for the clash against the Potters.