Rotherham are sweating on the fitness of Joe Mattock ahead of their 2015/16 Sky Bet Championship campaign against MK Dons.
The left-back has not played since injuring his ankle in a pre-season friendly against Dundee over a fortnight ago and boss Steve Evans rates him at 50/50 for the game.
But Lewis Buxton and Danny Ward are both fit for selection after coming through a behind-closed-doors friendly with Sunderland on Tuesday.
Farrend Rawson will not feature after only just returning to the club after getting treatment at parent club Derby on a groin injury while Kirk Broadfoot begins his 10-match ban.
Boss Steve Evans must decide which of his 12 new signings will make their debut against the Dons.
Evans said: "Joe Mattock is probably 50-50, 60-40
in favour of being fit.
"He was probably 70-30 on Wednesday doubtful so every day
he is making remarkable progress now.
"If he is not fit for Saturday it will be
Tuesday or maybe if we don't have him for Saturday we’d leave him another week,
just to be absolutely sure, but he’s on the edge of being ready.
Lewis Buxton went up to Sunderland and had
their staff raving about his performance in the first 45 minutes, so he is another big player who has come back into the group."
Evans admits to having a good relationship with the powers that be at MK, but hopes they come back down the M1 empty-handed in their first outing at this level.
"They are super people, they
always treat me like a lord when I go down to Milton Keynes," the Millers boss added.
"We have just got to make sure
they go back down the road disappointed that they didn’t get any points on the
day because they are full of good players, they play football in a proper way,
they were the best team in League One for me last season.
"It's Christmas Eve tomorrow
and it’s Christmas Day when everyone wakes up on Saturday.
"You’re no different
as a manager, because you take it more personally because it’s your team out
there.
"The start of every season is just a wonderful day for everyone involved
in football, whether it be managing, playing or watching."
