Rotherham United manager Matt Hamshaw says he is “devastated” after loan striker Kion Etete suffered a serious injury in training.
The Millers boss confirmed the Cardiff City forward picked up the blow on Thursday, with the severity still being assessed following the club’s win at Northampton Town.
Hamshaw confirms “serious” setback for Etete
Hamshaw revealed the injury occurred during a routine session, stressing that Rotherham had been carefully managing the 23-year-old’s workload.
“Yes, it’s a bit of a blow, to be honest,” he said. “He got a serious injury, we think, on Thursday in training, which is devastating for everybody, Kion included. The severity of it, it looks like it’s going to be a serious one. It was absolutely nothing in training. We’ve been careful in managing and monitoring his workload.”
Etete joined on a season-long loan from Cardiff in the summer and had shown flashes of his physical presence at the top end of the pitch. Hamshaw underlined both the player’s potential and the staff’s frustration at losing another attacking option.
“I know that Kion’s capable of doing so much. I want him to get to 90 minutes and he’s a work in progress. But, unfortunately, he’s got an injury. He’s another player we’ve lost. It’s sad. But, like I say, there are positives today. We send our best wishes to Kion.”
Asked about a timeline for return, Hamshaw said there was no clarity yet.
“Not at this moment, no,” he added. “Look, he’s had a few injuries in the past, he’s also had injuries here. I’m sure that all will be revealed the next time I kind of speak to you. It looks like it’s a serious one. As I say, I’m devastated to lose him because he’s been a handful in games since he’s been here.”
Millers lean on depth while they await news
Rotherham’s response at Northampton highlighted attacking depth that Hamshaw believes can carry the load while Etete recovers.
“We’re losing another striking option. But you saw today with (Dan) Sherif, (Jordan) Hugill and (Sam) Nombe, and (Josh) Kayode is coming back, that we do have goals in the team. We’ve been scoring from other areas.
“Those players didn’t score but I thought they led the line really well. They’re going to be big players for us moving forward.”
The head coach’s message, however, remained consistent: support the player through his rehabilitation, trust the group that delivered at Sixfields, and avoid rushing decisions before the medical picture is complete. With fixtures stacking up and competition for places fierce, opportunities will fall to the forwards named by Hamshaw, as well as to wide players and midfielders who have chipped in with goals.
Writer’s View
The language from Matt Hamshaw was sober and sincere, which usually points to a lengthy absence, but withholding a return date is the right call until scans land. In the meantime, Rotherham’s forward mix looks equipped to absorb the hit, with physical options to occupy centre-backs and willing runners to stretch games.
Etete had been trending in the right direction, so the timing is cruel for player and club alike. If the Millers maintain their collective output in the final third and keep set-piece efficiency high, they can ride out the loss and ensure there is something meaningful for Etete to return to later in the campaign.
