Millwall boss explains how he could work around attacking injuries – with Sheffield United loanee set for scan

Millwall are set to find out the full extent of Oliver Burke’s hamstring injury today.

The Sheffield United loanee came off in the first half of Tuesday’s 2-0 win over QPR with the issue. His replacement Tyler Burey scored the second goal against their west London opponents.

Millwall look unlikely to have Benik Afobe – also hamstring – available for Saturday’s trip to Blackburn Rovers.

Earlier this week it was confirmed that Luke Freeman, a deadline day addition on loan from Sheffield United, was set to miss the remainder of the campaign with a hamstring injury.

“Burkey is going for a scan today,” said Millwall manager Gary Rowett. “Usually they let the injury settle down for 24 hours and then scan it.

“He was still feeling it yesterday, he was quite stiff and sore, but Benik was like that. He felt it was quite bad and his was the mildest strain you could get. Freeds didn’t feel too bad and then his probably about one of the worst you can get. So I’m reluctant to speculate.

“Benik is not too far away but we’ve got so many games coming up quickly that it is hard to shave a 10-day injury down to seven or eight because you are straight back into games and the likelihood is that it’s going to go again.

“We have to be really careful.

“I wondered if we could go again [against QPR] with the intensity we showed in the Cardiff game. We did but then lost another player. It leaves you with a heightened concern going into the next game.

“Mason [Bennett] has played more games in a row and minutes then he has in a while. Jed [Wallace] came straight back into the team and he was stretching out his hamstring after about 70 minutes.

“We’re not really in a position to be able to give people breathers, particularly after two good performances. Connor [Mahoney] is chomping at the bit and so is young Zak [Lovelace] – if Scottie [Malone] hadn’t got cramp then he would’ve come on for 10 minutes. He will, I’m pretty sure, get some game time in the next two or three games.

“With Dan Ballard back we have got the option to put Scottie into that front three. It’s not his natural position but he can play those sort of areas. We’ve got two midfielders with good experience who probably expect to play anyway. We’ve got options but it’s just those attacking outlets. If we had three on the bench you can impact games later on.

“At the moment we’re back down to a lack of impact, which is always difficult in the Championship when you’re looking to win games late on.”