Gary Rowett has confirmed captain Shaun Hutchinson will be unavailable for next weekend’s clash with Leeds United.
Rowett was speaking to South London News where he provided an update on Hutchinson’s fitness 10 days out from the clash with Leeds at the Den.
Hutchinson was forced off in the first half of Millwall’s 1-1 draw at Birmingham City last Saturday after picking up a calf problem.
The 32-year-old is an extremely important player under Rowett and leaves Millwall extremely short at centre-back, particularly given they like to play with a back three.
Wes Harding was the man to replace him at the weekend, though he has spent the majority of his career playing at right-back, while Ryan Leonard has also been playing out of position in a back three.
Hutchinson to miss Millwall vs Leeds
Speaking after the draw to Birmingham at St. Andrews, Rowett claimed he expects Hutchinson to miss the next two or three matches, which would definitely rule him out against Leeds.
He said: “It looks like he is probably going to miss two to three games. And then we’ll see where we are at from there. He might be back a little bit quicker or longer – it is difficult to pinpoint exactly. He is not going to be fit for the Leeds game, put it that way. We’re hoping it is not too serious and it’s only going to keep him out for a few games.”
Leeds have not won away at Millwall since November 2012 having lost five of their last six visits to the Den in that timeframe.
However, with Millwall currently struggling under Rowett and without their captain, there will be no better time to end that hoodoo.
The international break almost represents the start of a new era at Leeds with the chaotic summer window firmly behind them, and hopefully that can be shown on the pitch with another two weeks of training under Daniel Farke.
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
