Rotherham United boss Matt Taylor admits it will be tough to avoid relegation rivals' results this weekend

There was no clever answer suggesting he would not be following scores and elect to switch his phone off with his sole focus on preparations for Monday's game with Middlesbrough.

Games elsewhere could have a huge impact before then for Taylor's side.

Should second-from-bottom Blackpool – in action on Friday night against Millwall – fail to win and third-from-bottom Reading lose at home to bottom club Wigan the following day, then the Millers would effectively be safe due to their superior goal difference.

Taylor said: "You can't avoid them (rivals results). Everyone watches and sees them.

"The players will be looking at them. We will be doing some work here - the ones who are able to do some work - and seeing where they are going into Sunday."

After being on the receiving of not one, but two late goals in defeats over the past seven days to Cardiff and Bristol City, Taylor's side have had a psychologically bruising week.

Alongside the mental scarring for his players, there are a few walking wounded as well, which seems to be customary this season for the Millers.

Conor Coventry and Lee Peltier came off with hamstring concerns late on Thursday and will be assessed alongside Oli Rathbone, who is managing an ongoing groin issue.

Taylor added: "It's just these late cruel blows; picking up the players when they're putting everything and more out there. We're going to have to ask them to keep doing it for two more monumental games, starting Monday.

"We quickly dust ourselves down. We might have to rejig certain personnel going into Monday because of where some bodies are at."

For Taylor, there was obvious and understandable pain at what happened late on versus Cardiff, but you have to take what you can.

The sight of his side coming from behind to level with an opponent was a more pleasing and suggests that while the Millers may be scrapping for their Championship lives, the fight is at least there, if not always the quality.

He continued: "We equalised again and that's something we have struggled to do over the course of the season. Up until the last dozen or so games, we'd barely got two equalisers up until that point.

"We have equalised five times in recent games, but we are having to do that as we've been behind as well.

"The players are showing their spirit and fight, but did not quite have enough to withstand the late goal."