Defensive dilemma for Millwall chief as key man needs a rest period
Mahlon Romeo could come back into Millwall’s squad for their home game against Blackburn Rovers tomorrow – but manager Gary Rowett admits they face a dilemma with the defender.
The 24-year-old has clocked up 42 appearances this season and made the right-sided defensive slot his own.
But Romeo was rested for Saturday’s 1-0 win at Hull City with Billy Mitchell, 19, playing the wing-back role.
Rowett said: “We’ve got a real dilemma with Mahlon, because he’s got a groin injury that is almost an over-use injury. It’s been scanned and diagnosed.
“He’d come back and played every game. We’d spoken about it before we came back – that it was going to be a challenge for some players to play so many games in such a short space of time.
“He’s one that has picked up that injury. At some point he’s going to need some rest to get to where it needs to be. Do we risk Mahlon now and that recovery time becomes delayed? Or do we let him get the recovery time at the end of the season to get him right for next season?
“We’ll have to see how he feels. He’s desperate to get back out there. But what I’m conscious of – and it’s why he wasn’t out there Saturday – is that we don’t want him out there trying to help the team but maybe at 70 per cent. That’s not going to help anybody.
“He’s an important part of our team, as he has shown so far. We’ve got to make sure we make good decisions.
“This was the challenge with these nine games. You want to do well and take advantage of any opportunity you get. But you don’t want to put people in a position of risk for next season.”
Rowett does not expect Jon Dadi Bodavrsson (knee) to face Blackburn.
“Jon has made good progress but realistically Blackburn will be too soon. We’re hoping he might be fit for the last couple of games.
“Even late on in the game Saturday it would have been nice to bring that natural energy and athleticism up front – just to see if we could counter-attack when the game became open.”
PHOTO BY KEITH GILLARD
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