Rotherham United manager Steve Evans was perplexed by Manchester United loanee Dan Gore's decision to rule himself out of the League One side's 2-1 defeat to Shrewsbury Town on Saturday with a foot problem.

Gore joined the Millers on loan for the remainder of the season in the January transfer window to try and gain some much-needed first-team experience.

The 20-year-old has experienced a stop-start last 12 months because of injury problems, the first of which he sustained when he joined Port Vale in last year's January window. He made his debut for the Valiants four days after arriving on loan and suffered an injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season.

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He then suffered a freakish shoulder last summer and another problem in October, meaning his temporary switch to South Yorkshire has offered him the opportunity to make up for lost time. However, he missed the defeat to Shrewsbury after waking up on Saturday morning with a sore foot.

"He worked for two days in the team and went home from training on Friday feeling good," said Evans, as quoted by the Rotherham Advertiser.

"I got a call from the medical staff to say that he'd woken up with his foot really sore. I'll pick up more of it tonight [Saturday] and tomorrow [Sunday].

"It's unbelievable. We didn't do enough in training for him to have a sore nose let alone a sore foot. He sat there afterwards having lunch with the boys and had a rub and got prepared."

It has been reported that Gore was in line to make his first start for the Millers after making his debut from the bench in a 2-1 defeat to Birmingham City the previous weekend.

Evans added: "Until I hear more from the medical staff as to how it's happened and why it's happened then it's ... maybe God will tell me when I go to sleep tonight."

It remains to be seen if Gore, who made his United debut in September 2023, will be available for Rotherham's trip to Bloomfield Road to face Blackpool on Tuesday evening.