Millwall boss Gary Rowett gives more detail on Shaun Hutchinson’s absence
Shaun Hutchinson is set to be out until October with his quad injury.
The Millwall centre-back, who had sat out Saturday’s 1-1 home draw against Blackburn with the issue, went for a scan on Monday.
Hutchinson, pictured inset, did not feature for the midweek visit of his former club Fulham.
“He is a key player for us, as we saw towards the end of last season [when he was unavailable] and it’s really disappointing news,” said Lions manager Gary Rowett. “We went from him feeling nearly fit for the game to a scan saying he will be out for six or seven weeks.
“It’s a situation you don’t want to be dealing with two games in. Over the last year it seems to be that we are getting key injuries at the wrong time and that’s something, of course, that we will look at.
“Hutch is a big loss but hopefully he is back stronger and he might not miss more than four or five games [because of the international breaks coming up].
“It is what it is, you can only try and pick a team so that you are not affected by it.
“But he is integral to what we want in the middle of the back three, that’s where I see him this year – he has that little more pace, power and aggression. We’re going to miss someone like that.”
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The Manager is too committed to a back 3 system (that we plainly cannot play) – and by his own words sees Hutchinson as the central player of 3 – which therefore probably means Ballard on the right of a 3 (because we are probably committed to playing him as part of his loan deal) and Jake Cooper on the left of three. Neither Ballard or Cooper are particularly suited to those wider positions in my opinion – as we saw in the first half on Saturday – especially with our inadequate 3 in MF – with NO creative player in the team at all. Also probably means no place for Murray Wallace – who has been outstanding this year thus far. Until Rowett wakes up and realises that to get the best out of our best players we need to play 4 at the back with a creative (not destructive) midfield player in a 4 – we are going nowhere. Also Malone looks like he has lost interest and Romeo is probably wondering what he did wrong as he has gone from regular to not present. The manager doesn’t seem to have too much idea on team selection or player management in my opinion – and letting / encouraging Thommo to go could be the final straw – he is better than any of the other donkeys in MF that he continues to select