Millwall boss says “no issues” with Romain Esse as winger left out of squad for Huddersfield match

Millwall head coach Joe Edwards said there are “no issues” with Romain Esse after the young attacking prospect did not make the matchday squad for today’s 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town.

The 18-year-old winger has not featured since the 3-0 defeat to Coventry at The Den on November 25.

He had been an unused sub in the previous four fixtures before today.

Esse has played 277 minutes of Championship football this season – 31 of those minutes since the end of October.

“It is the first time since I’ve been here that we’ve had pretty much a fully fit squad – other than Casper (De Norre),” said Edwards. “I had more bodies than spaces in the squad. It was an incredibly difficult decision and it was just a personnel one – probably for this specific game, where we’re at at the moment, how we’re playing and what this game was going to play out like.

“Romain, like with a lot of those young players who end up on the fringes, he has ended up lacking that little bit of match sharpness. There is an U21 game on Monday that he will play in, just to get some minutes and also for that physical conditioning – with a view to jumping back in with us on Tuesday to be in contention again.

“There is no issue with Romain. I’d point out that when I came in, Romain was the first sub I brought on at Hillsborough – he was a player I knew about before I came in and that was a sign of intent there, bringing him on because I wanted to see him play.

“I still see Romain being a part of what we’re doing and hopefully a big future at this place.

“For young players and ones of Romain’s type, when you have got a team playing like we are in a tough moment it is not easy to come in and give young players opportunities. I’ve got a lot of experience of working with young players. For all the success you sometimes end up seeing down the line their are difficult moments.

“There are times when it is not the right time to put them in and give them development time – and then there’s time that it is. he has got all the support from us to take the disappointment today – he’ll be disappointed today and rightly so – but it is no big deal from my point of view.”