Stoke City is set to face Millwall at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday, but Millwall may have to manage without four of their key players. Millwall’s manager, Neil Harris, revealed the injury concerns following his team’s recent 1-0 victory over Leeds United. The hard-fought win elevated Millwall into the Championship play-off spots and marked their fourth consecutive league triumph. However, the victory came with a price. Josh Coburn, who joined Millwall on loan from Middlesbrough over the summer, made an impact after coming on in the 62nd minute but appears to have aggravated a previous injury that kept him sidelined earlier in the season. Harris commented that it might be too soon to field Coburn against Stoke, though he praised the 21-year-old forward’s performance and noted that Coburn is progressing well. Coburn, who had made four league appearances and scored once before suffering a calf injury, has been back in training for two weeks, but his brief appearance against Burnley on November 2 seems to have led to this latest setback.
In addition to Coburn, Harris confirmed that Tom Bradshaw, Adam Mayor, and Billy Mitchell are also unavailable until after the international break. He noted that these players could benefit from upcoming games during the break to regain their fitness. Macaulay Langstaff, another forward, has been stepping up in their absence. Harris acknowledged the challenges his team faces, particularly when competing against high-pressing, aggressive opponents, but he praised the energy and work rate of Langstaff, George Honeyman, Romain Esse, and Duncan Watmore.
As Millwall copes with their injury struggles, Stoke City heads into the match with momentum, having recently defeated Derby County and Blackburn. Aiming for a third consecutive win, Stoke currently sits just four points behind Millwall despite being nine places lower in the standings, making Saturday’s encounter a crucial one for both teams.
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