Millwall handed injury boost as Aidomo Emakhu doesn’t need shoulder op – but Ryan Leonard set to be out for six weeks

Millwall have been handed a boost with the news that Aidomo Emakhu does not look set to require surgery on his dislocated shoulder – but Ryan Leonard is set to miss around six weeks with his hamstring injury.

The Lions did not have Republic of Ireland U21 international Emakhu available for Saturday’s FA Cup defeat to Leicester City and he saw a specialist earlier today.

Leonard came off with his issue shortly before half-time against the Foxes.

“Aidomo saw a specialist this morning and it looks like three weeks to return to playing,” Millwall head coach Joe Edwards told the South London Press. “With a plan of this week he will do some individual training. Next week to rejoin but in non-contact form – obviously due to the nature of his injury – with a view to hopefully rejoining the team for proper training in the week leading into Preston and being available for selection for that game.

“Obviously with these type of injuries it is wait and see how we go but that is the plan, that he’ll be able to possibly play against Preston.

“Surgery would have been a problem (in terms of timescale). So we’re very pleased. But the issue is that you never really know until you start getting properly on the move again and into physical contact.

“We’re pleased but we kind of say it with bated breath and fingers crossed to see how he gets through these next two or three weeks.

“From what it could’ve been, the first readings from the specialist are good.

“It was incredible (how it happened). He had the ball and Danny McNamara came to press him and he literally – like you’d see a thousand times in a football match – he went to use his arm to hold Danny off.

“It just popped. I don’t know if it was the angle but there was very little force – definitely no force applied by Danny. It wasn’t something you’d class as a tackle and was to the point where I didn’t really notice anything had happened, then I looked over and realised Aidomo’s team were a man down and he was off the pitch.

“He didn’t even hit the floor or have a big contact with Danny Mac. It was one of those awkward angles, I guess.”

Leonard has a grade two hamstring tear.

“Six weeks is the initial figure that has been thrown out there,” said Edwards. “That’s disappointing for all of us on that one.

“He has been massive for us. We put a bit of consistency together there in the way we defended, with the clean sheets, and started to play some good football as well. Lenny was showing both sides of his game that he can offer. It is a loss for us and definitely a big disappointment for him personally.”