GARY Rowett doesn’t think Jiri Skalak’s injury is too serious after the winger pulled up in the warm-up before Tuesday’s 1-0 friendly defeat against Crystal Palace at The Den.
Skalak, 28, was going to start at right wing-back for the Lions, but was replaced with Hayden Muller, who is naturally a centre-back.
Skalak has played just 33 games in two seasons since joining from Brighton in August 2018.
Rowett also gave an update on Mahlon Romeo.
“Mahlon’s got a little niggle, he’s not right yet,” Rowett said. “Jiri would have started but got injured in the warm-up. Hayden started and I thought he did well in some parts of the game. There were a couple of times in the second half when he slipped after getting into good positions. It’s probably as not natural for him to get into those areas high up the pitch, but I thought there were some good moments.
“It just feels symptomatic of this period, it feels so sporadic and fragmented. [[Skalak] just pulled up, I think he felt it towards the end. It affected our organisation but it was an opportunity for someone else.
“I’d hope [Romeo] wouldn’t be too far away [from the opening league game against Stoke]. The concern would be the lack of minutes that he’s had. He’s had a groin issue that’s cleared up but we haven’t been able to work him too hard pre-season worrying that it flares up again.
“It will be a fitness issue but Mahlon is an athletic boy so I don’t suppose it will be too much of a problem.”
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