Millwall boss on his side’s injury issues striking so early in their new Championship campaign

Millwall manager Gary Rowett has spoken in more detail about the club’s succession of injury setbacks at the start of the season.

The Lions were already missing Mason Bennett and Shaun Hutchinson before Saturday’s trip to Cardiff City.

And Danny McNamara and the versatile Ryan Leonard, both options to play at either right wing-back or full-back, then missed the fixture in Wales.

McNamara has a groin injury which is expected to keep him out for six weeks. A hip issue ruled Leonard out.

Rowett said: “It’s disappointing, because we had this towards the end of last season.

“I’ve said lots and lots of times that for us to be successful we have to have a little bit of fortune and not get key injuries at the wrong times. What you don’t want is to get it straight away.

“We were competitive in the first two Championship games and we were competitive at Cardiff, up to the first goal. We just miss that continuity of Hutchy, who has virtually started every game for us because he is so important. In many ways if you had to lose one defender it wouldn’t be Hutchy because he just seems to knit together the back three really, really well with his performances.

“Danny broke into the team and became a permanent fixture in it.

“Lenny is not as long term but we have lost those three in the last week and a half.

“That is what a squad is for, I’d never complain about that. But Lenny, Hutch and Danny is the right side of our defence unavailable, so you just lose a bit of balance and continuity. Sometimes that is enough just to hinder that performance level or take away something in those big moments – Hutch is so important on set-pieces.

“To be missing Danny, Lenny, Hutch and Mason [Bennett] after two or three games is not what you want. But we have to work hard within this period to get better results so when they do come back we’re stronger again.”