SHAUN Hutchinson starts his first game of pre-season as Millwall face their final friendly of the summer against Southampton.
The defender re-signed for Millwall two months after being released but has been behind on match fitness.
Hutchinson will be racing to get up to scratch so he can start in the opening game of the season against Watford next week, where there is a vacancy in defence due to Japhet Tanganga’s suspension.
Neil Harris has made six changes from the last friendly game in front of fans, the 2-1 win over Real Murcia eight days ago. Lukas Jensen, Hutchinson, Jake Cooper, Joe Bryan, Duncan Watmore and Casper De Norre have all come in.
There is no place for Zian Flemming on the bench with the Dutchman known to be nursing a tight calf. But among only eight substitutes is 18-year-old Alfie Massey, who has caught the eye during pre-season.
As for the Saints, they have included new signings Yuki Sugawara, Flynn Downes and Taylor Harwood-Bellis in their starting line up. Other familiar names include Joe Aribo, Jan Bednarek and Adam Armstrong, who scored the winner in the Championship play-off final against Leeds.
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Millwall: 4-4-2: Jensen; Leonard, Hutchinson (c), Cooper, Bryan; Esse, Saville, De Norre, Honeyman; Watmore, Bradshaw.
Substitutes: Roberts, McNamara, Tanganga, Nisbet, Langstaff, Emakhu, Massey, Harding.
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Southampton: 4-2-3-1: McCarthy; Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis, Stephens, Bednarek; Downes, Smallbone; Edozie, Aribo, Taylor; Armstrong.
Substitutes: Lis, Manning, Edwards, Bree, Wood, Brereton-Diaz, Robinson, Alcaraz, Charles, Amo-Ameyaw; Dibling.
