Millwall manager loathe to change defender’s situation in January transfer window

Alex Mitchell look set to spend the rest of the season on loan at St Johnstone – with Millwall manager Gary Rowett saying he would be loathe to make the young centre-back return to SE16 next month.

Mitchell has been a regular for the Scottish Premiership club, who are bossed by Rowett’s former assistant Callum Davidson.

The 21-year-old has previously impressed on loan for Leyton Orient and Bromley.

Rowett told the South London Press: “I’ve spoken to Callum about it and said that we’re not looking to bring him back unless things change for us, we have injuries or we feel we need to accelerate Alex coming back to us.

“The plan was always for him to stay out for the season, get good game time, learn from a good manager who I certainly trust and play at a very challenging level. So far he has done that.

“That’s still the plan – but he’s our player. If we get to January and we get an injury or two, the obvious thing to do is bring your own player back rather than have to go and sign one.

“If we can leave Al out there, I think that’s always the [best] case.

“The other thing is that I wouldn’t want managers to do that to me. And I wouldn’t want to do it to Cal unless I really have to – halfway through a season just as their form is really picking up. I don’t want to suddenly take away one of their best players. That’s not ideal for anyone.

“That’s the plan so far, but whether that plan remains I can’t say definitively.”