Millwall midfielder set for three-game ban – starting at Bristol City – unless Lions appeal red card

Millwall midfielder George Saville is set to be missing for three matches after his red card in tonight’s 1-0 win over Norwich City.

The Lions player was shown straight red card for stopping a counter-attack in the closing stages at The Den.

Saville slid in to bring Jon Rowe down as the Norwich substitute looked to surge into the Millwall half.

Referee Dean Whitestone dismissed Saville, who will start his suspension at Bristol City on New Year’s Day.

The Lions could look to appeal the official’s decision.

Asked if the Northern Ireland international was unlucky to be dismissed, head coach Joe Edwards said: “I think he probably was.

“When you do lunge like that – particularly when an opponent is running at that speed – it can look desperate and it puts the ref in a position.

“Having seen it back, which the ref doesn’t get the benefit of, it is probably more cynical than it is reckless or dangerous.

“If I think of the McLean tackle on George Honeyman before that – in terms of the danger to an opponent – I don’t think there is much difference in it.

“They can go either way. It went against us but fortunately we rode it out after.

“(Saville suspended for three games) is the biggest blow out of all of it. Short term and in the heat of the moment you’re delighted to see the players stick together and ride it out but that is a loss for us.”

Norwich could have been down to 10 men earlier in the second half but Ashley Barnes was only booked for throwing Jake Cooper to the turf and then not letting go of the Millwall centre-back.

Barnes also then shoved away Saville and George Honeyman after he had been carded.

City boss David Wagner quickly subbed his striker off.

“We haven’t spoken about those kind of incidents,” said Edwards. “It is so soon after and there is so much more to talk about in terms of how well we carried out our plan and how much character we showed – how much quality we showed. The dressing room is absolutely delighted.

“That has been a tough few weeks for us where we couldn’t find a win and we’ve now in a little block of four games over this festive period – we’ve done a lot of good things in the first three.

“Moments like that happen on the pitch. Certain opponents come here and try and provoke you. If you look at what it did it brought us as a team and fans together even more. The atmosphere was ferocious second half and that is a strength for us to play on.”