Joe Rothwell could face a month out if he has his tonsils removed while 'forgotten man' Ryan Williams is edging close to full fitness.

Manchester United loanee Rothwell has made four starts and three appearances as a substitute for the Reds but has struggled to find his best form. He has had tonsillitis for several weeks, causing him to miss a number of training sessions as he was bed-ridden. Rothwell – who has not played for more than a month since the Johnstone's Paint Trophy win at Scunthorpe on September 1 – may require surgery to remove his tonsils and that would mean he is not available for the Reds for several weeks.

Barnsley head coach Lee Johnson said: "Joe Rothwell has been ill with tonsillitis. At the moment he is fighting through it but he may have to have his tonsils taken out so we may lose him for a month or so."

There is better news for Australian Williams, 21, although Johnson is still wary that his groin problem may not be completely healed. The Reds boss said: "Ryan is doing well. The physios are pleased with his progress. He's not feeling any pain but, every time we try to up the workload, something goes wrong. He will be playing catch-up but he's almost a forgotten man and, when he comes back, he will be like a new signing. Hopefully that's sooner rather than later."

Williams signed for a six-figure fee from Fulham in the summer but has yet to fully recover from an operation needed after sustaining injury during a successful loan spell at Barnsley a year ago. He has started once this season, against Swindon, but was taken off after 28 minutes.