Millwall striker set to be fully firing for Reading – with Liverpool loanee also closing in on a first-team return

Millwall manager Gary Rowett is set to have Benik Afobe fully fit and available for Saturday’s match at Reading.

The Lions are hunting a fifth straight Championship win to boost their play-off prospects.

But they lost Mason Bennett (oblique muscle] and Shaun Hutchinson (calf) in last weekend’s 1-0 win over Sheffield United.

Millwall’s recent impressive results have been achieved despite a significant injury list with the likes of Maikel Kieftenbeld, Sheyi Ojo, Tom Bradshaw, Ryan Leonard, Oliver Burke and Luke Freeman all unavailable.

Asked if there was any light at the end of the tunnel in terms of selection boosts, Rowett told the South London Press: “Light at the end of the tunnel is that it has collapsed and I’ve been digging for about three weeks and I’ve just seen a glimmer of light – but not much. And I’m not sure how many more bricks I can unearth.

“Benik, by next weekend, would be fine. He trained for one day [before Sheffield United] and I kind of accelerated that past what the medical team really wanted to do, to get him on the bench if we really needed it.

“I made a decision after Mason [Bennett], that even if we lost the game it’s not worth risking him [Afobe] getting injured at this point. He’ll have a good week’s training so at least that is one out and one back in.

“Ironically Zak [Lovelace] pulled his hamstring after the game. Murray Wallace went to A&E on Sunday because he had a bang to the chest and it tightened up. I hope they will all be okay for next weekend.

“I think Kief [Maikel Kieftenbeld] is possibly a couple of weeks away, we’ve had better news on his scan. We hope to be able to accelerate him a little bit.

“Probably Sheyi [Ojo] is next closest at around three weeks away.

“Hopefully then, at three weeks, we’ve got possibly Lenny, Burkey and Bradders – we should almost then have one back a week for the rest of the season.

“Again, we’re going to have to get through this next couple of weeks unscathed.”