MILLWALL could have to use rookie goalkeeper Joe Wright as back-up against Stoke on Saturday – as Frank Fielding nears a return to the fold.
Wright, 18, who came through the youth ranks, was on the bench for the 3-1 EFL Cup first-round win at Crawley last weekend with Ryan Sandford injured.
Just last November, Wright was joining Walton Casuals of the Southern Football League Premier Division South on a 28-day loan deal.
Fielding, 32, has played only 43 minutes of competitive football since joining from Bristol City in June 2019 before he tore his quad in the opening game against Preston.
Lions boss Gary Rowett has admitted that while Fielding is still unavailable it’s a “difficult balance” as Millwall ponder recruiting another stopper.
“Ryan Sandford’s picked up a knock, it’ll be around a week to 10 days,” Rowett said.
“It’s something we need to look at, it’s an area that we’d like to try to add another body in. With Frankie back training and not far off, and two young lads, it’s one of those where do we spend some of the budget on another keeper and end up with three senior ones and two young ones? That’s not ideal.
“It’s a bit of a difficult balance at the minute but we’ll try to work out what the right thing to do is.”
Image: Millwall FC