Rotherham United boss Alex Bruce has provided an update on the fitness of one of his new players ahead of their clash with Crewe Alexandra.
The Millers beat Northampton Town last weekend, taking their point tally to nine points this campaign. One of Rotherham’s new signings, Paul Mullin, scored the game’s only goal, but it was another new boy who caught the eye.
Dominic Iorfa had only trained for two weeks before the game but was thrown straight into action at Northampton, helping The Millers keep a clean sheet.
Iorfa, who left Sheffield Wednesday at the end of last season, hadn’t played since May, so his condition post-game was unknown. His new boss Bruce has provided an injury update ahead of what could be the defender’s home debut.
Alex Bruce Provides Dom Iorfa Fitness Update
Speaking to the Rotherham Advertiser ahead of his side’s game against Crewe, Bruce spoke about Iorfa’s debut and his condition pre-game:
“His last game had been in early May. So to train for two weeks and then get chucked straight into a competitive match was tough for him. We’ve had to try to manage him this week.
“For him to give us 60 minutes last week was great. You could see the influence he had on the team, and he’ll only get better.”
When asked whether the former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender would feature at the New York Stadium, Bruce went on to say:
“He wasn’t involved on Monday or Tuesday. He was working with the fitness lads and the medical side of things just to keep him ticking over.
“He’s trained this morning, and he’ll train again tomorrow. We’ll see how he is for Saturday. He should be all right.”
Steady Debut for Iorfa
The 31-year-old had an assured debut against Northampton last weekend. He picked up a Sofascore rating of 7.1 for his performance against The Cobblers.
In his first 60 minutes for the South Yorkshire side, Iorfa made four tackles, two clearances and recovered two balls. The defender also won 70% of his duels and was confident on the ball, recording a pass accuracy of 80%.
Experienced Addition
The defender is certainly experienced at the back and will add quality as Rotherham look to move up the League Two table.
Last season Iorfa played 34 games in the Championship for Sheffield Wednesday and had plenty of defending to do as the Owls battled both on and off the field.
While it wasn’t an easy season, Iorfa received an average Sofascore rating of 6.59. He ended the season with 0.9 interceptions per game, 1.7 tackles per game, 6.1 clearances per game, and recovered 2.7 balls per game.
The issue for Iorfa in recent seasons has been staying fit. If Bruce can manage his minutes and training regime, ensuring he can play most League Two games, he’ll be a key part of the Rotherham United defence.