Millwall’s Mr Versatile suffers injury setback

Millwall’s Ryan Leonard has been ruled out of this Saturday’s Championship clash against Preston North End due to a cracked bone in his knee.

But Lions boss Gary Rowett does not believe it will be a long-term stint on the sidelines for the versatile midfielder.

The 31-year-old has made 10 appearances in the Championship this season, starting the last eight games in a row predominantly in defence.

But Leonard played alongside Casper de Norre in midfield for Rowett’s side in the 2-2 draw with Hull before the October international break.

Duncan Watmore and Kevin Nisbet are also set to miss Saturday’s game at Deepdale.

“He’s got a cracked bone in his knee,” Rowett told the South London Press.

“We think he did it against Plymouth. He had an incident where he went down against Plymouth, but he managed to get through the whole game.

“He felt sore afterwards. It looks likely he will need a bit of rest and then see where it is.

“It’s a couple of weeks rest. That’s the general feeling with it. It’s not ideal, but it could have been worse.”

The former Plymouth Argyle youngster has made 139 appearances for Millwall since joining from Sheffield United.

Rowett added: “Lenny is the one you can use in a different position and you can then revert back – he gives you the ability to change formation without changing the team.

“It’s nice to have the flexibility, but it’s also nice to have someone performing at a very, very high level.

“At centre-back, he has been as good as anyone in that position – he can deal with pace, and movement and he can step in and join in.

“When he is fit and available, he’s as good as anyone in the team. He gives you that Premier League athleticism and power, which isn’t easy to find.

“This one [the injury] isn’t down to anything other than bad fortune. Hopefully he doesn’t miss too much action.”