Millwall Boss Will Be “Creative” to Deal With Lions’ Striker Crisis

Millwall manager Neil Harris has acknowledged that he will need to try different options up front to contend with the club’s injury crisis upfront.

The Lions were dealt another striker injury blow last week when last season’s top scorer Tom Bradshaw suffered an achilles injury in training. In addition, Kevin Nisbet has been ruled out for the foreseeable future after he sustained a hamstring injury in early February.

To address the lack of forward options, Harris has drafted Zian Flemming into an advanced role in the last two matches. Michael Obafemi, on loan from Burnley, has partnered with Flemming in Harris’ first two matches in charge at Millwall.

This unorthodox partnership has yielded positive results, as Flemming struck in back-to-back Millwall victories against Southampton and Watford. However, as reported by Southwark News, Harris feels he is still hampered by the lack of striking options, which will force him to be inventive with his forward players.

“We have one recognised striker but I can’t control that. We have no recruitment opportunities or windows so I can only go with what we have and I have to find a way to do it.

When reflecting on Obafemi’s contributions, the 46-year-old coach urged Millwall fans to be patient. The Irish international hasn’t played a full 90 minutes since October 2022. but Harris believes the striker has the potential to come good in the latter stages of the season.

“Can Michael play every minute of every game? No, of course he can’t. We have to be respectful to his injury record as well. People have to understand that and the fanbase have to understand that and they will off the back of these words now and my explanation.

“We’ll have to find ways and be creative, that’s my job. But what I will say is whoever plays up there, please support them. Michael’s a top, top player. A top goalscorer. I’ve seen it in training enough already.

Writer’s View

Harris will likely stick with his forward duo of Flemming and Obafemi for the Lions’ trip to Blackburn on Tuesday, largely due to a lack of alternatives. The pair have shown some quality to produce, with Flemming stepping up for his new boss.

However, as Harris acknowledged in his pre-match comments this duo may not be the long-term solution upfront. As a result, Millwall fans may have to be open to some tinkering in the forward positions for the remainder of the season, especially given Obafemi’s lack of competitive action in recent years.

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