GARY ROWETT expects three of Millwall’s four injured players to return around the March international break.
The Lions are currently without Tyler Burey [hip], Callum Styles [calf], Mason Bennett and Billy Mitchell [both ankle], although the manager is hopeful that he will have the core of his squad fit for the run-in next month.
Styles is the only long-term doubt in the group, with Rowett providing a positive update ahead of Saturday’s trip to Reading.
“I think Tyler is probably the closest, I’d like to think he’ll be back before the international break,” he told NewsAtDen.
“Billy and Benno have a chance of being back after the international break, so for West Brom.
“Stylesy looks like he’ll be out for the best part of the season, it’ll be a bonus to get him back before the end of the season. At the moment, it’s looking like quite a complicated injury. I don’t think it’ll be an easy one to rush back.
“That’s the expectation, that the three will be back by the international break – Tyler maybe a little bit before.”
A number of players have also been unwell in the last few weeks, with Oliver Burke, Duncan Watmore and Jamie Shackleton all missing games as a result.
However, Rowett is confident that they are now over the worst of it and can focus their attention on the final eleven games of the season.
“Jamie was ill on the morning of the game, which disrupted the opportunity to pick a similar team – whether I’d have done that – I think Lenny would have probably started anyway.
“Romain and Aidomo played the under-21’s game on Tuesday to get them some minutes, get them up to speed and make sure they don’t lose out on that development of game time.
“I would imagine that Shacks will be fine.
“I think we’ve had quite a few that haven’t felt great. Duncan was under the weather at the weekend and that’s why I didn’t start him.
“It’s a difficult scenario to be in when someone hasn’t been well. Do you start them? Do you even bring them on?
“Hopefully we can get that out of the building and make sure that, come the weekend, everyone is flying and ready to go.”
Photo: Millwall FC