Millwall boss admits continuity in team selection could be more tricky with fixture heavy schedule until the end of 2019

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Gary Rowett reckons it will be hard not to rotate some of his Millwall players due to the heavy fixture schedule for the remainder of 2019.

The Lions are in action tomorrow as they host Wigan Athletic and are aiming for a third Championship victory on the bounce.

Millwall play six matches in December and still have a trip to Birmingham City this weekend to contend with as well.

Rowett told the South London Press: “I’m never a big fan of changing the team for the sake of it. I like that continuity and consistency in selection.

“But when you look at our group, it’s very hard not to do that. It would be very hard for some of those players to play with that intensity and energy – particularly that we show at home – to do that three times a week for a long period.

“We have to utilise the squad, we have to make sure we don’t take any risks with anyone and we need a little bit of fortune in terms of injuries and niggles.

“We know what we’re up against. We have to find the best solution to get through that and make sensible changes when we think tactically it suits certain games. That might be our way of doing it, changing one or two things tactically that gives one or two players a breather at the right times.

“There’s no easy way to do it. You can play the same team – I had one season where I played every game. It was a bit different – it was in the Premier League. Some games I turned up feeling like I needed a breather and you actually play quite well. Other times you feel quite good and I had poor games.

“We make too much of it. It’s if someone has an injury and they still have to go and play three games in a week. That’s the risk.”

PICTURE BY BRIAN TONKS