Millwall dealt fresh injury blow to key figure ahead of Portsmouth contest as problems mount
Millwall currently occupy the final Championship play-off position after Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Preston North End.
Millwall have been dealt a key injury blow ahead of their trip to Pompey after the international break.
Ever-present midfielder Billy Mitchell is expected to be sidelined for the trip to the south coast after suffering a hamstring tear against Birmingham City last week.
The 24-year-old has featured nine times for the Lions this term, solidifying himself as an integral part of Alex Neil’s side.
Millwall have shot out of the blocks in the Championship this term and currently sit sixth after Saturday’s 1-1 draw against play-off rivals Preston North End.
Mitchell was absent for the stalemate at The Den after reporting the issue after Tuesday’s 4-0 defeat to Birmingham.
Scans later showed a significant tear in his hamstring, with the Lions head coach explaining the frustrating setback.
Key Millwall man set to miss Pompey
And Neil has since ruled the midfielder out of the trip to Fratton Park after the international break as he begins a spell on the sidelines.
Speaking after Millwall’s draw with Preston on Saturday, he said: ‘He’s going to probably be out for four to six weeks. It’s frustrating because he played against QPR.
‘He came back, missed the next game through illness. We then kept him on the bench and started with Derek (Mazou-Sacko), and only gave him 30 minutes just to ease him back in.
‘He then played the other night, he only played 75 minutes. We took him off as a precaution to try and keep him fit for the next one, which would have been today, and he was fine.
‘Then he wakes up the next morning after the game and reports that his hamstring’s feeling tight and he’s a little bit worried about it. We get it scanned, and he’s got a tear in there.’
Millwall’s injury issues ahead of Pompey
Pompey are not the only Championship side suffering with an extensive injury list, with Millwall also experiencing issues in the treatment room.
Mitchell was joined on the sidelines by Femi Azeez (hamstring), Ryan Leonard (calf), Josh Coburn (quad), Massimo Luongo (ACL), Dan McNamara (ACL), Steven Benda (calf) and Lukas Jensen (achillies) in missing the draw with Preston on the weekend.
Only Benda and Azeez could return for the trip to the south coast next week, while defender Jake Cooper will miss the contest as he serves a one-game suspension.
And Neil is far from pleased with the Lions’ current injury woes in their ongoing play-off battle.
He told Southwark News: ‘I’m not quite sure. What I will say is: it’s a lot of the same lads that had injuries last year, isn’t it?
‘The problem we have got, Billy didn’t have a full pre-season, Femi didn’t have a full pre-season, Massimo (Luongo) didn’t have a full pre-season. Nearly every one of these lads that are breaking down, they didn’t have a full pre-season. That’s the only thing that I can really look at and try and identify that’s different.
‘Tristan (Crama) plays every game, (Jake) Cooper plays every game, Casper (De Norre) in the main plays nearly every game, Mihailo (Ivanovic) plays every game. Last year, it was the same players who were always available.