r otation key for r owett’s Lions

millwall manager to change things up ahead of championship promotion run-in

By Alex Jones alexj@southwarknews.co.uk

gAry rOweTT is working hard to keep his fringe players fit after revealing that they will be involved in the buildup to Millwall’s promotion run-in.

The manager previously told the News that midfielder Jamie Shackleton was one of many players in line for a run in the starting lineup at the start of the year, but that he would have to be patient as the Lions found a way to give him extra game time.

Following Billy Mitchell’s ankle injury, the Leeds United loanee came into the side to partner George Saville against Sheffield United, putting in a fantastic performance that will surely see him keep his place in the coming weeks. The same had happened to Charlie Cresswell following Shaun Hutchinson’s groin injury.

Rowett explained that the rest of Millwall’s back-ups are primed and ready to go as well, as they will all be given extra time on the pitch as the Championship fixture list becomes more and more congested.

“We work hard at doing that [keeping everyone match fit], we work hard at making sure they’re right,” he said after Saturday’s victory at The Den.

“Last Thursday, we did 30 minutes of eleven v. eleven against the under-

21’s to get the match sharpness into the players. It’s not quite the same, but they need that at the moment.

“There’s not many training days, most of the days are just recovery and preparation.

“They’ll be ready to go - we saw it today with Burkey, how long you can last. Sometimes you might last 60 or 70 minutes.

“Shacks is the same, he cramped up quite early on but that’s going to happen because he hasn’t played 90 minutes too often.

“We’ve got a great group, a great bunch of players. If they’re left out, and I explain it to them, they accept it and they’re ready to do their bit. I think that’s so, so important.

“I think the challenge for us is that we’ve got so many games in such a short space of time. Every now and then, I’m going to have to rest a player where people will ask why he’s not playing. The reality is because I’m going to need them fresh for the next fifteen games.

“I think I’m going to have to make those decisions along the way. I nearly did it today with the two games [vs. Sheffield United and Burnley] because I felt they’d be difficult games to get anything out of anyway. Do we come out the other side regardless of how we are?

“I think that’s part of the manager’s job in these heavy periods of games.”