Millwall injury boost as ex-Sunderland forward Duncan Watmore is praised ahead of Stadium of Light return

Former Sunderland striker Duncan Watmore made a triumphant return from injury during Millwall’s 3-1 victory over Cardiff, sealing the Lions’ win with a goal after coming on as a substitute.

Despite missing recent matches against Huddersfield and Leicester due to injury, Watmore made a significant impact when he was brought on at halftime against Cardiff.

With 31 Championship appearances for Millwall this season, Watmore’s return boosted the team’s morale and contributed to their crucial win, which pushed them six points clear of the relegation zone with just three games left in the campaign.

Millwall manager Harris expressed pride in his team’s performance, especially given the skepticism surrounding their ability to perform at home, as they prepare for their upcoming match against Watmore’s former club, Sunderland, on Saturday.

“I played my part in it with team selection and style of play and try and show the lads clip but really it was about educating them how to play each position in front of our fan base at home.”

The Lions boss added: “The first 15, 20 minutes I thought were excellent and we got our noses in front. And then I’m thinking we can get a second or third here. It didn’t materialise and I thought the reason it didn’t materialise is because we kept giving the ball away. We didn’t give it away for the first 15 minutes.

“Second half we were excellent, we used the ball much better. Duncan Watmore’s introduction gave us so much energy and forward runs and ability in the final third as well. We looked a lot more confident today with the ball and I thought if we scored the third goal at the start of the second half, we might have gone on and got four or five.”