MILLWALL hope Carlos Edwards can train on Friday and prove he is fit to continue at left-back in the place of the suspended Joe Martin for this Saturday’s clash with Swindon.
Edwards went off in the second half of the 3-0 win over Blackpool last weekend with a dead leg and wasn’t able to train earlier this week.
If he is unavailable Shane Ferguson could drop to left-back with Neil Harris to decide between Shaun Williams, Ed Upson, Aiden O’Brien and Fred Onyedinma as Edwards’ replacement.
Jed Wallace will play his 14th game for the club, with just five more of his scheduled loan remaining after that. Ferguson might be in a defensive role at the County Ground but has enjoyed linking up with Wallace recently.
“Jed’s a great player and working well with Mahlon (Romeo) on the other side,” Ferguson said. “He comes across and helps out and we know each other pretty well training and playing together. He’s been fantastic since he came.”
Ferguson has become a valuable player in the Millwall set-up with his versatility and ability with dead balls. After playing just four times last season he has already featured 40 times this campaign.
The Northern Ireland international admitted this season was about building up his sharpness first before any thoughts of higher goals.
“Fitness was a big thing for me, trying to get back to where I was,” he said. “Thankfully now I’m certainly getting there and not getting as tired as much in games.
“Before training we do injury prevention stuff to make sure you’re ready to go out and train.
“It’s about playing regularly and enjoying it. It’s going really well and hopefully we can keep this great form up.
“We know how good we’re playing and we’re looking up.
“We want to aim as high as we can. We know it’s going to be difficult with a lot of hard games coming up this month.”
Swindon, meanwhile, have won their last four fixtures and are just seven points off the play-offs having been as low as 22nd in the table in November.
Robins chairman Lee Power gave Luke Williams a five-year contract as head coach this week after he guided Swindon to six wins from 10 games this year in a caretaker role.
They defeated Doncaster 2-0 in their last game 10 days ago.
Swindon have put any relegation worries firmly behind them and midfielder Louis Thompson, on loan from Norwich, warned the Lions his side are potentially as good as any in League One.
“I think the belief is back in the team,” he told Swindon’s official website. “Millwall come here off the back of good results as well. They’ve got their own hopes and aspirations and so have we.
“I think if we can impose ourselves on the game like we did against Doncaster I don’t believe there will be many people in this league that can live with us and I’m hoping we can do that on Saturday – that’s what we’re training towards. It should be a good game. I’m looking forward to it.”
Millwall record against Swindon:
Played 95
Won 38 Drawn 26 Lost 31
Form guide (Last five league):
Swindon: DWWWW
Millwall: LWDDW
Sky Bet odds:
Swindon 21/10 Draw 23/10 Millwall 6/5
Probable Millwall team:
4-4-2: Archer; Romeo, Webster, Beevers, Ferguson; Wallace, Abdou, Thompson, Upson; Morison, Gregory.
Last meeting:
League One, October 17, 2015
Milwall 2
Gregory 19, O’Brien 26
Swindon 0
Teams:
Millwall: Archer; Edwards, Craig, Beevers, J Martin; O’Brien, Williams, Saville, Ferguson (Onyedinma, 66); Gregory (L Martin, 79), 20 Morison (Pavey, 91).
Swindon: Vigouroux; Barry, Branco, El-Abd, Ormonde-Ottewill; Traore, Bangoura (Stewart, 64); Ojamaa (Randall-Hurren, 52), Gladwin, Brophy (Balmy, 45); Ajose.