Millwall keeper Bart Bialkowski set to start EFL Cup tie against Cheltenham – as boss provides injury update on Romeo and Parrott

Bart Bialkowski looks set to start for Millwall in tomorrow night’s EFL Cup tie against Cheltenham Town – with Frank Fielding not quite ready for a first-team return.

The Lions had Joe Wright, 18, on the bench as back-up to the Poland stopper in Saturday’s stalemate with Stoke City.

“Frank is back in what the medical team class as modified training,” said Millwall manager Gary Rowett. “Because he is in first-team training but it’s controlled fashion, where he won’t give absolutely everything.

“It’s about when he is able to ramp things up. Until we’re up to the point where he has had some U23 game time or a good week’s training he won’t be considered just yet. It will be nice to have him back and add a little bit of calm to the squad.

“We think Wrighty is going to be a really good keeper but he missed a lot of football last season through injury and obviously through Covid as well.

“We’d expect Bart to go again and be ready to play another game. I’m sure he’ll be happy to do so after keeping a clean sheet in the first home game. So the likes of him and a few others will have to go again.

“There’s always a little bit of you that thinks ‘do we need to look after one or two players’ but it is the third game of the season and we certainly shouldn’t be too concerned about who is going to play again. If I was a player I’d almost be disappointed if I wasn’t – because you want to get a little bit of rhythm and form going.

“We’ll make a few changes because of the nature of the season and the squad. Everybody needs to be ready and get match minutes.”

Mahlon Romeo could be involved after missing the start of the campaign.

Ryan Woods is also available after sitting out the Stoke match as part of the terms of his loan in SE16.

“Mahlon trained on Friday and came through fine,” said Rowett.

“Troy [Parrott] has done really well and is progressing well but we’re trying to hold him back a bit because it was a quad injury. He’s desperate to be back training and involved. He’s trying to make his stamp in first-team football and not been able to do that. As you can imagine he’s chomping at the bit to get started.”

PHOTOS: BRIAN TONKS