MILLWALL boss Neil Harris will name a strong side for Tony Craig’s testimonial against Brentford at The Den on Saturday.
The majority of the senior squad were left out of the midweek trip to Dover. Craig will start in a defence with Lee Gregory and Steve Morison set to take over from Fred Onyedinma and Jamie Philpot up front.
Ben Thompson, Jimmy Abdou and Shaun Williams are competing for two midfield spots, while Harris said he wants to give David Worrall, Gregg Wylde and Shaun Hutchinson the chance to play at The Den before Saturday week’s opening League One clash against Oldham.
Meanwhile, Brentford will also likely bring a first-team squad to The Den ahead of their first game in the Championship against Huddersfield on August 6.
Midfielder Sam Saunders heaped praise on his former team-mate Craig, but said his side won’t be distracted by the occasion.
“Tony Craig was a fantastic servant for this club and a fantastic servant for Millwall,” Saunders told his club’s official website. “He came in and all the fans took to him because of the kind of player, and the kind of lad, that he is. How he is on the pitch is how he is every day in training and how he is with the lads.
“All of the boys got on fantastically generic lexapro not as good well with him here. He is a leader and a winner and you can’t have too many of them in the dressing room.
“However, it is the last friendly that we have got to impress the gaffer, it’s the last friendly we have got to make sure that we are ready for Huddersfield, and it’s the last friendly to get our match fitness back.
“Millwall will be exactly the same and we are going there to put a performance in and to win. It is great for Tony Craig to get his testimonial, which he thoroughly deserves, but we are not going to take it lightly. We want to go out there and get a result.”
Brentford boss Dean Smith has signed a trio of players from League One this summer: John Egan from Gillingham, Romaine Sawyers from Walsall and goalkeeper Daniel Bentley from Southend.
Last season
Brentford – 9th (Championship)
Millwall – 4th (Beaten League One play-off finalists)
Players in
Brentford: John Egan (Gillingham), Romaine Sawyers (Walsall), Daniel Bentley (Southend).
Millwall: David Worrall (Southend), Gregg Wylde (Plymouth), Shaun Hutchinson (Fulham), Paul Rooney (Bohemians).
Current title odds
Brentford: 33/1 (Championship)
Millwall: 11/1 (League One)
Pre-season form guide
Brentford: LWDDL
Millwall: WWWL
Possible Millwall team:
4-4-2: Archer; Romeo, Webster, Craig, Chesmain; Worrall, Thompson, Williams, Ferguson; Gregory, Morison.
Image source ©Millwall FC