Millwall fans will pump up their players for ‘crucial’ Middlesbrough and Huddersfield matches

Gary Rowett is confident a fired-up Den crowd will ensure his Millwall players are bang up for the visit of Championship play-off rivals Middlesbrough tomorrow.

The Lions extended their unbeaten league run to six matches in midweek but fatigue looked to be a factor as they had to scrap to a 0-0 draw at Blackburn Rovers.

The South Londoners, who had been on a five-match winning streak, failed to register a shot either on or off target at Ewood Park.

And Rowett is delighted that Millwall are now back home against Boro – who lost 4-1 at Sheffield United on Tuesday – and then Huddersfield, third in the standings, next week.

The Lions are only four points off sixth-placed Luton Town, who they play at the start of April.

A crowd of around 16,000 is expected at the weekend with the Teessiders selling out their away allocation.

“To play an away game at Blackburn and be out on our feet a little bit, then have a little bit of recovery time, means that the two home games have probably come at the perfect time,” said Rowett, who was nominated for Championship Manager of the Month for February.

“Once you get to Friday you start looking forward to the game. Once the players turn up at The Den they will have that extra bit of zip in their step. You can’t not play with energy in front of a full house of our fans.

“I think it will be a game where energy isn’t a massive, massive issue. And then we don’t play until Wednesday.

“They are both difficult games against really good teams. Both games could go either way, because that is the division and the way these things work. But our home form has been good and we’ve been good against the better teams as well. So the games have fallen quite well.

“The players will get on the pitch with a bit of a spark about them and they’ll forget about the amount of games we’ve had and how many bodies we’ve got.”

Millwall were dealt another injury setback in Lancashire with Dan Ballard coming off at half time with a groin issue.

The Arsenal loanee, 22, had only returned at the end of February after missing 11 Championship matches following knee surgery.

“Dan said he’s had these before when he comes back from injury,” explained Rowett. “He felt almost a little nick in his groin-hamstring area. He’s not a medical expert but he doesn’t think he’ll be out too long.

“He says these normally settle down really quick, in a week to 10 days.

“The problem at the moment is anything is ruling players out for the next three games and they are the three games that are probably the crucial ones at a crucial stage of the season where we’re in a fabulous position – you need options, simple as that. You can’t afford to be without too many players.”