Valley Parade will be no place for faint hearts tomorrow.

Stuart McCall predicts a no-holds-barred Yorkshire derby with Ronnie Moore’s Rotherham.

Unlike the Rochdale no-show in the last home game, McCall wants to see his players match the intensity of the occasion against the Millers.

“We’ve got to get up and at them,” he said. “It will be blood and guts I’m sure, and we need to be physical and strong and show a little bit of quality.

“We do need to get Rochdale out the system and move on. We gave them too much time to play their football, and we can’t do that again.

“It will be tough, no doubt. It’s a gritty Yorkshire derby and Ronnie will be raging a bit after losing by three in the FA Cup in midweek.

“But it’s down to what we do and whether we can put in a performance like Chesterfield here rather than just turn up against Rochdale.

“In the last two games, five or six of the lads have just dipped under what they would normally. It’s more fives and sixes where previous to that they were getting sevens and eights.

“But they appreciate that and are looking forward to putting it right tomorrow. They’ve got a good attitude for the game and want to get about people and make it like a cup tie.”

Zesh Rehman is still out with a tight hamstring, although he hopes to be in contention for Tuesday’s JPT clash.

And McCall revealed another player pulled up in training yesterday with a similar problem.

He said: “It’s what you get with the pitches at the moment because they’ve had so much rain on. Hamstrings and calves are dodgy.

“Look at the huge injury lists at Liverpool, Man United and Arsenal, and they’ve got the best in sports science and physiotherapy. Injuries happen, particularly this time of the year.”

So Matt Clarke will retain his place at the heart of the defence after doing his bit alongside Steve Williams in last week’s clean sheet at Darlington.

Clarke said: “Positions are up for grabs for all three of us but it keeps you on your toes.

“You’ve just got to take that attitude into every game to keep the shirt. It’s frustrating being out the team but, at the moment, it’s probably my shirt to hang on to.”

Clarke expects to have his hands full coping with the division’s top scorer, Adam Le Fondre. Honours were even last season when the striker was with Rochdale, City keeping a clean sheet at Valley Parade before Le Fondre had his revenge with a double in March.

Clarke added: “Le Fondre has caused problems in the past and he’s doing really well again. He’s got good movement and is hard to play against.

“But you do enjoy going up against good players. You look forward to the challenge and battle of wits because you know you’ll have to raise your game.

“A home win is overdue and, with it being a derby as well, it would be great if we could get the three points to set us up for the important Christmas period.”

  • Fans can get their hands on the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in the club shop between 1pm and 3pm.