Millwall boss reckons absent duo could have made difference against Sheffield Wednesday
BY ALEX GRACE
Gary Rowett felt that Ryan Leonard and Mason Bennett could have given Millwall something different in Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Sheffield Wednesday.
Club record signing Leonard is back in training but has not played since the 2-1 win over Leeds in October.
Attacker Mason Bennett was signed on loan from Derby County on Thursday.
“We had Mason Bennett and Ryan Leonard both training yesterday [Friday],” said Rowett.
“When you look at the game today and those types of players it would give us something different in those games.
“We have a really small squad, the smallest in the Championship, and that energy has been stretched over a period of time and now they have come to the end of that cycle.
“We have to go again and Lenny has got bags of energy in midfield and Mason (pictured above) could give us a little bit of what Sheffield Wednesday’s wingers gave them just in fleeting moments when that little bit of pace was needed just to take someone on and open the game up.
“I’m looking forward to seeing them, both players are going to need at least a week’s training. We will have to see if they are available for the West Brom game.”
Millwall did not bring in anyone on Deadline Day with Rowett saying there was nothing to “tease” the club.
“There wasn’t really anything close,” he said.
“There was nothing we thought was appropriate in terms of loan options, you are only going to loan one of your young players out if it going to benefit the player and the club.
“We didn’t really get anything to tease us on the final day. We are what we are, we don’t have huge numbers, we’ve left two young players out of the squad and we’ve got two players coming back from injury.
“It makes it easier in some ways, because we have such a tight-knit group, but it also makes it difficult to have as many options as you need in a game like today when you need a little bit of spark that wasn’t there.”