Millwall boss address Macaulay Langstaff squad absence and some transfer window signings falling into ‘different category’

Alex Neil says that some of the younger players that Millwall signed in the winter transfer window are not first-team ready yet.

The Lions signed left-back Zak Sturge on loan from Chelsea and completed a permanent deal for Benicio Baker.

But neither of them have featured in matchday squads.

Summer addition Macaulay Langstaff was also absent for today’s 1-1 draw against West Bromwich Albion at The Den.

Langstaff has scored once in 28 Championship appearances for Millwall, with 14 of those starts. He has not been in the matchday squad since the 2-1 win over QPR since the start of February.

“Macaulay is not available at the moment,” said Neil. “He didn’t get left out – he’s still injured.

“The difficulty I have got with Zak is that he has played limited football. Benny has played limited football. These boys fall into a little bit of a different bracket at the moment – we need to build them up so they are ready.

“People say: ‘Why don’t you play him?’ Okay, who am I taking out? And then that is when the question sort of starts to change because it’s ‘oh, I don’t need to take anybody out but I’d still play him’. Okay, I can’t play 35 players.”

Middlesbrough loanee Josh Coburn has been out since suffering a broken bone in his foot at Oxford United at the end of November.

“He wasn’t quite ready for today,” said Neil. “I’m very hopeful he might be ready for Preston. If not Preston then it will definitely be the next one, provided things go as they have done.”