Millwall boss explains why it’s too early for Arsenal loanee’s return date to be set in stone

Millwall manager Gary Rowett says it is too early to declare that Daniel Ballard will definitely be back fit by the start of March.

The on-loan Arsenal centre-back underwent knee surgery last Thursday. The initial timescale is that the Northern Ireland international will miss three months.

Ryan Leonard is also expected to be out for the same timescale after needing a second operation on the ankle he damaged last season.

The first time Leonard did the injury he had setbacks which kept him sidelined for six months.

Ballard had a loan at Swindon in 2019 aborted almost instantly due to sustaining a knee injury.

“You don’t know what they are going to find when they go in and you’ve had previous injuries,” said Rowett. “Eight, 10 or a 12-week prognosis is a reasonable timescale for any operation.

“But it depends how you feel after two, three or four weeks. Just because that is the timescale doesn’t mean that is what it is. You look at Lenny and his timescale [first time] was a lot quicker than it was, it kept getting extended all the time because it didn’t feel quite right.

“If it all goes smoothly then three months doesn’t feel too horrendous but I’m sure if you ask Dan then he isn’t seeing much positive light at the minute.

“It’s a frustrating time for any player, particularly when you’ve been performing well.

“For both players it’s going to be a case of accept it, get your head down and try to get back as strong as you can rather than feel a bit unlucky, annoyed or frustrated – that doesn’t do you any good in the end.

“Both will work hard to come back as quick as they can.”

Ballard is set to do the early chunk of his rehab at Arsenal.

“At a Premier League club like that they will have all the best facilities and lots of different staff,” said Rowett. “Usually the club prefer to do it that way as the player belongs to them, we did the same with Tyler Burey after he got injured at Hartlepool.

“Maybe midway through the player re-acclimatises back into the group and the training ground, to get ready to return to playing for us.”