Three players closing in on returns for Millwall – as boss provides injury update on West Brom loanee

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Millwall have got three players closing in on a return to action – with two potentially available for tomorrow’s derby against QPR.

Mason Bennett has missed the last four matches with a quad injury but was close to making Saturday’s fixture against his former club Derby.

And striker Tom Bradshaw, also unavailable to face the Rams, could be back for Tuesday night’s match.

Lions manager Gary Rowett has also revealed that Connor Mahoney is another nearing full fitness.

“Mason was very close to being available for the weekend’s game, so we’re hoping that he’ll be back. We’ll find out a little more today,” said Rowett.

“And we’re hoping Bradders will be in the same position. He jarred his knee and the specialist said it was better to let it settle down for one to two days, that if it doesn’t respond in a negative way he should be good to go.

“I don’t think Connor is miles away but I think Tuesday will be too soon for him.

“It was hard to find too many positives from the performance [against Derby] but Coops got through it and he landed on his shoulder a couple of times. He looked quite comfortable throughout. That’s not to preclude that it might happen [another dislocation] in the future. But he got through the game and felt alright.”

On-loan West Brom striker Kenneth Zohore has been out since the start of November with a quad injury.

Initially there had been talk that he could be back by mid-December.

“That was the best-case scenario if everything went to plan and he healed really quickly,” said Rowett. “He is probably a week to 10 days behind that.

“I would say at the moment that you’re probably looking more at the end of December, which of course is frustrating.

“But it seems at the moment that we have got to battle through a few issues and see if we can come out the other side stronger and performing better.”