‘It’s not ideal’ – Millwall boss on wingers Esse and Azeez being forced off with calf issues

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Millwall head coach Neil Harris is set to face a late call on whether midweek matchwinner Romain Esse and Femi Azeez are fit for tomorrow’s trip to Swansea.

Esse scored the clinching goal in Wednesday night’s 1-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle at The Den – his fourth of the campaign.

But the 19-year-old limped off in the 84th minute after receiving treatment on the pitch. Summer signing Azeez, 23, was another enforced change midway through the second half.

Esse told the club media channel that he was just suffering with cramp and would be fine for the weekend fixture.

But Harris told the South London Press on Thursday morning: “We don’t know. There is a fine balance between cramping up during a game and having some sort of strain. We won’t have a better idea until probably realistically Friday morning.

“It is not ideal when both wide players come off with calf issues. We’ll have to see how they go.”

Esse and Duncan Watmore, who missed the Plymouth fixture for family reasons, have been the Lions’ two top attacking outlets this season.

Esse pounced when Bali Mumba floundered on the ball and then linked with George Honeyman before finishing past keeper Daniel Grimshaw.

“The things that catch the eye for the supporters when they watch him will be his ability to create and score,” said Harris. “At times he does get excited and he turns the ball over, they are the bits where we are trying to find as many positives from those outcomes as possible.

“He is developing that and maturing in those aspects all the time. The bits we see as football coaches is his work-rate off the ball and his tactical understanding – in and out of possession – which is as good as anyone in the squad and somebody way beyond his years.

“Rom is developing not just into a very good Millwall player but a top Championship player. It is really exciting to see.”

“Femi has shown glimpses of fitting into our style of play and becoming a Millwall player,” said Harris. “At The Den he has not quite found a rhythm.

“That was his first start in the league and it is not always easy to come on. Once he got past the 25 to 30-minute mark he grew into the game and showed what he can bring to the team.

“He was effective in keeping the ball simple but showed some end product as well, getting into good positions. Certainly in transition, carrying the ball up the pitch, he has real pace and power.

“He won a lot of our set-plays, a  lot of corners, and had a shot across the six-yard box in the first half. Then he had the one-v-one chance. It was a brilliant ball by Japhet and Femi was extremely disappointed he hasn’t got on the scoresheet.

“Those are the fine lines sometimes when players go into new football clubs – they just need that opportunity to get off the mark and build confidence.

“It gives them a platform to grow. We saw Mihailo (Ivanovic) do it at the weekend (score in the 1-1 draw against Derby) and earn his first start on Wednesday night. We saw Macca (Macaulay Langstaff) do it with his first goal against Preston – how it gave him the confidence to go on and perform really well.”

Middlesbrough loanee Josh Coburn and Tom Bradshaw are back in full training but Harris expects the Swansea match to come too soon for either to be included in his squad.

Club captain Shaun Hutchinson and Adam Mayor continued their return from injuries with run-outs in an U21 victory over Charlton on Tuesday.

“Adam is on track for possibly being available for the Stoke game – if not then after the international break,” said Harris.

“Hutch completed good minutes and with him it is about finding a little bit of rhythm.”