Neil Harris has confirmed that Josh Coburn will be out for an extended period of time after the Millwall player was forced off injured last weekend.
Joining on loan from Middlesbrough, the striker was The Lions’ starting striker against Luton Town but was forced off the pitch 10 minutes before half-time. Fellow summer recruit Macaulay Langstaff was brought on in his place.
Harris confirmed to the South London Press that Coburn will be out for “six to eight weeks,” being the third major blow to the club’s striking department this season. Tom Bradshaw is also on the physio’s bench, having picked up a hamstring injury at the end of August.
The Welshman was the first-choice option at the club until he was unable to see out the clash in the EFL Cup against Leyton Orient. He was subbed on in the second half and the former Cambridge United boss confirmed that as a result of the injury, he would look for a new striker in the transfer window, culminating in Coburn’s signing.
Elaborating further, Harris said: “That’s the bad news. We’re going to see how it settles in the next 14 days.
“He’s a player we chased all summer. We finally get him in the building and he starts with a goal on his debut – to lose him is disappointing.
“It’s one of those things. One person’s misfortune is another one’s gain.
“I thought Macaulay Langstaff played very well when he came on and was very unlucky not to open his account for the club.
“He’s a natural goalscorer, so I’m sure that goal won’t be far away.”
Serbian international Mihailo Ivanovic is also on the sidelines, but recent reports suggest his return could be sooner than first believed. An international call-up for the 19-year-old did put a spanner in the works to assess a foot problem but returned to London shortly after and has since seen a specialist.
Similarly, Jake Cooper is expected to return next week but will be unavailable for the match against Queens Park Rangers this Saturday. He was also forced off against Luton with a calf strain, but Harris hopes he will be ready for their contest against Preston North End.
Writer’s View
Millwall are now in a very tricky situation with their goalscoring department. Neil Harris has lost his first-choice forward and now two of his deadline-day signings over the space of less than a month and is now left with Macaulay Langstaff to be his starting option against QPR. The former Notts County man has had a difficult start in London with his manager not happy with performances, especially against Leyton Orient.
However, the game against Luton did see his tone shift to a more positive one, saying he was unlucky not to score at The Den. Perseverance will be needed, especially over the next few weeks as Harris will have to rely on last season’s League Two top scorer as his only proper striking option. A good string of results may put Langstaff higher in the pecking order when everyone returns from injury, so this next run of fixtures is crucial to get right for the 27-year-old.
Be the first to comment