MILLWALL return to The Den for the first time in two weeks after suffering consecutive defeats on the road.
The Lions were eliminated from the Carabao Cup at the start of August, losing 1-0 to Cambridge United at The Abbey in a game where George Honeyman was sent off just before the hour-mark.
It left Gary Rowett short on numbers for last weekend’s trip to Bramall Lane, where Millwall were beaten 2-0 by Sheffield United thanks to goals from Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge.
Rowett has been relishing tomorrow’s game as a good opportunity to bounce back from their recent poor performances. Last season, the Lions struggled massively on the road while maintaining one of the best home records in the division. While it’s too early to make a proper judgement on whether we could see that again this season, the signs so far indicate that it could be the case.
It doesn’t guarantee that Millwall will pick up three points in South Bermondsey on Saturday afternoon, however, especially against a direct rival for the top six. Coventry have progressed steadily since winning the League One title in 2020, finishing 16th and 12th in their first two seasons back in the second tier.
Like Millwall, the Sky Blues are keen to go one step further and have eyes on the play-off places after missing out by 11 points last season.
For Mark Robins’ side, it’s been more about who they’ve managed to keep than who they’ve signed so far this summer. While the likes of Callum Doyle from Manchester City and Jonathan Panzo from Nottingham Forest will certainly help Coventry at the back, keeping Viktor Gyökeres and Callum O’Hare at the club is arguably much more important.
That being said, O’Hare remains sidelined through injury amidst reported interest from Burnley and will miss Saturday’s match at The Den, putting a lot of pressure onto Gyökeres. The Swedish international, who’s been linked with a move to Everton in the build-up to the game, already has one Championship goal to his name after scoring a late equaliser against Sunderland on the opening day.
Strangely, that’s the only league game that Coventry have played so far this season. The Sky Blues were due to host Rotherham United on Sunday afternoon, but the game was postponed due to the state of the pitch after it was used for rugby sevens matches in the Commonwealth Games.
This also meant that their Carabao Cup match against Bristol City had to be rearranged, instead taking place at Burton Albion’s Pirelli Stadium. Although both sides ended up rotating their respective lineups, the Robins ran out 4-1 winners to progress to the next round.
It remains to be seen as to whether or not Coventry’s situation will impact their team, having played just once in the last two weeks. The majority of their first-choice XI haven’t played since the opening-day draw at Sunderland, and while they may feel rested, they may also be lacking match fitness.
Unlike most teams, Millwall had a week off after Cambridge requested their Carabao Cup tie to be moved forward by a week. It’s allowed Rowett to spend an extended period of time with his team after their recent defeats, while also helping injured and ill players to recover in time for Saturday’s game.
Honeyman is set to return to the XI after missing the defeat in South Yorkshire through suspension, while Ryan Leonard will also be in the squad after recovering from tonsillitis. Zian Flemming and Tom Bradshaw both remained sidelined, while Murray Wallace is a doubt after picking up a knee injury in training.
Whoever Rowett opts to start at The Den this weekend will have to be prepared for a very uncomfortable match, with temperatures in London potentially reaching a high of 37°C.
Millwall predicted XI: 5-2-1-2: Bia?kowski; McNamara, Cresswell, Hutchinson, Cooper, Malone; Shackleton, Mitchell; Honeyman; Afobe, Bennett
Match odds: Millwall 7/5 Draw 21/10 Coventry 2/1
Last meeting: Championship (December 29, 2021): Coventry 0-1 Millwall (Bradshaw 79′)
Photo: Millwall FC