GEORGE Saville was kept as an unused substitute for tactical reasons during Millwall’s 1-0 loss to Huddersfield Town, Gary Rowett confirmed.
The Northern Ireland international was the only outfield substitute not to come off the bench during the match as the Lions searched for an equaliser after the break, prompting some supporters to voice their concerns about his availability.
Saville missed last Saturday’s 2-1 win against West Brom through illness, although Rowett confirmed that he was fit enough to feature against the Terriers if needed.
“It was nothing to do with Sav,” the Millwall boss said after the defeat.
“There’s a good chance that he’ll come into the team for the next couple of games, or one of the next couple of games certainly.
“I thought Shacks had done well enough in the previous game, and Billy, to stay in the team. We spoke about working hard to keep the shirt.
“At the end, I just felt as though we needed something to unlock the game with a bit of quality. With Evo [Evans] sitting in front of the back four, he’s got good passing ability. It didn’t quite work, but again, it was horses for courses.
“It wasn’t the time to give someone some minutes, it was a time to try and get back into the game, it’s as simple as that.”
Photo: Millwall FC