Millwall have suffered a blow ahead of this weekend’s return to action following the news that defender Ryan Leonard has been ruled out of the clash with Preston North End, according to London News Online.
The 31-year-old has featured in all-but-one of the Lions 12 fixtures in all competitions, although had to patiently wait for his chance to break into the team after appearing as a late substitute in each of the opening two games before failing to make it off the bench in the 3-1 defeat against Norwich City in August.
He has been an ever-present since though, helping keep four clean sheets in the last eight. Millwall’s recent form has been decent, losing just one of their last five, but manager Gary Rowett has had to contend with a small squad as he looks to pull the London-based side into the upper reaches of the Championship.
They recorded a 2-2 draw with Hull City just before the international break and travel to high-flying Preston on Saturday, but it has been confirmed that they will be without the services of the versatile Leonard.
According to South London Press, the former Sheffield United man has cracked a bone in his knee, although it is not expected to rule him out long-term. Confirming the news, Rowett said;
“He’s got a cracked bone in his knee. We think he did it against Plymouth. He had an incident where he went down against Plymouth, but he managed to get through the whole game. He felt sore afterwards. It looks likely he will need a bit of rest and then see where it is. It’s a couple of weeks rest. That’s the general feeling with it. It’s not ideal, but it could have been worse.”
It’s yet another blow for Millwall, who will already be without the services of Duncan Watmore and Kevin Nisbet after the pair were both ruled out with hamstring injuries.
Writer’s View
The international break usually represents an opportunity for clubs to reset and allow players not representing their countries to rest up and get rid of any niggles. In Millwall’s case, it’s quite the reverse and to be without three key players on Saturday is undoubtedly a major blow.
It’s not an ideal situation and Deepdale is already a tough place to go without having to contend with a depleted squad. Expect Preston to pick up an easy three points this weekend.
