The 3-1 loss to Bury on Boxing Day was notable for a number of reasons. The opening 45 minutes from the Iron ranked high among the best Iron performances of the season, the second 45 minutes among the worst, and the most important one was that it marked a drop into the relegation zone for the first time this season.
It cannot be dismissed as a blip. The last time Scunthorpe won a game was more than two months' ago, when Tranmere were defeated 4-2 days after Huddersfield's unbeaten run only remained intact thanks to two poor penalty kicks from the Iron.
Winger Jimmy Ryan is a doubt for the Iron, having sat out training on Thursday as a precaution on a thigh problem, but Knill expects to have him available.
Oliver Norwood, the midfielder on loan from Manchester United, returns after serving a three-game suspension. Damien Mozika (foot), goalkeeper Josh Lillis (Knee) and forward Matt Godden (hernia/hip) are the only absentees.
Chesterfield are one of only two teams below Scunthorpe in the table, and head to Glanford Park after a performance against Huddersfield they felt was far better than their league position suggests. They were beaten 1-0 at the Gaplharm thanks to a backheeled goal from Jordan Rhodes after 34 minutes.
"Anybody watching this game would not have believed we were bottom of the league. But at the end of the day it's all about points and we need to start putting points on the board," said John Sheridan, their manager, who has been promised money to bring in additional players during next month's transfer window.
"We took our foot off the pedal and the players seem to forget how they can affect a game. Our performance deserved something out of the game."