Millwall boss hoping for Kevin Nisbet return – as former Hibernian striker’s availability would ease attacking headache

Millwall manager Gary Rowett is hoping that Kevin Nisbet will be fit for tomorrow’s home game against Swansea and take away a striker headache.

Tom Bradshaw is not expected to be available until around the international break after injuring his hamstring in last weekend’s 0-0 draw at West Brom.

Nisbet missed the trip to The Hawthorns. He was forced off after damaging his ankle in the 3-0 victory over Rotherham but the Scottish international has not been ruled out of being back in the matchday squad this weekend.

The Lions are also depleted at centre-back. Murray Wallace injured his groin at the weekend and is set to be at least a fortnight away from a return.

Captain Shaun Hutchinson (calf) has been out since the start of September.

“The forward areas are slightly more of a concern,” Rowett told the South London Press. “Bradders and Nisbet are our out-and-out number nines. If both of them are out then it means we haven’t really got a number nine.

“Aidomo (Emakhu) can play as a striker – but he’s more of a wider striker. (Ryan) Longman has played as a striker, in a two. That is somewhere he can play. Duncan (Watmore) can also play there. But you’d describe them all as not out-and-out strikers.

“It’s obviously going to cause us a little bit of an issue.

“The main concern is the lack of impact from the bench, because as soon as you start using those players in the starting line-up it means you haven’t got an impact at all to throw on – in an attacking sense.

“I spoke about it before that our squad is quite light. To maximise the budget you have to go even closer to the knuckle with it, that’s just the way it is.

“We have players in our group that the better they do, the more you have to reward them for their performances (with improved contracts). Over a period of time that becomes a little bit of an issue (in terms of budget). You have to be a little more creative each year.

“It is a challenge that a lot of teams will have. We’re certainly not unique in that aspect.”

Asked if the injuries will mean Rowett contemplating a shape change, he said: “Not necessarily – because if you play 4-2-3-1 you need a natural number nine probably more than any other formation, or 4-3-3.

“I think 5-3-2, 5-2-1-2 – whichever way you look at it – in some ways you can play that with different options and different types of players in it. What you’re doing is giving yourself a challenge within the game – because certain games dictate you need certain positions and certain players.

“We’ve got good players fit and we’ll have to navigate through this next period of three games. It would be nice to utilise a good squad that we think we’ve got and be able to judge it. But I’ve said already it has been quite hard to do that because at the moment our main keeper signing, our captain and a number of other players have been unavailable for a few weeks and will be unavailable for a few weeks more.”