IT would perhaps be a little unfair on Luton to say this Saturday is a potential banana skin for Millwall, not least because the Lions are just a point ahead of the visitors going into the clash.
In fact, over the last 25 Championship games, Luton have accumulated one more point than the Lions.
However, history is on Millwall’s side as the Lions have lost just once to the Hatters in the last 14 games, 2-1 in the Championship at Kenilworth Road in 2005.
That’s not to say Luton haven’t given Millwall problems. Gary Rowett’s side needed a 95th-minute equaliser from George Evans in last season’s away fixture.
On New Year’s Day in 2020, Rowett took off Alex Pearce in the 43rd minute before the hosts came back to win 3-1.
The previous fixture between the sides, another 1-1 draw at Luton, was Neil Harris’ last game in charge of Millwall.
Rowett was hoping to have a full squad available for the first time this season on Saturday, but George Saville missed Northern Ireland’s 2-1 defeat to Bulgaria in Sofia on Tuesday night. A knee injury kept him out.
Scott Malone, Mason Bennett and Connor Mahoney were expected to train ahead of the fixture after being absent before the international break. Malone and Bennett are the most likely to be available.
Luton’s Zimbabwean striker Admiral Muskwe is hoping to feature at The Den and knows the difficulty of that challenge.
“Millwall away will be tough,” he told local media. “We know about their physicality, what they’re going to bring, we’re preparing to counteract that, and then how we’re going to impose our game on them.
“We’ve got to deal with that game on Saturday and then after that, we’ll move on to the Derby game.”
Muskwe scored in an under-23 game on Tuesday against Bournemouth, when former Millwall midfield target Allan Campbell also returned from injury.
Muskwe added: “Of course, as a forward you’re always looking to score every time you’re on the pitch, so I’m always happy to contribute with a goal.
“It was good for a few of the boys who haven’t played as much in the past weeks.
“Ahead of the international break, everyone had a rest, the ones that needed a few minutes got them and everyone gave it a good go.”
Rowett will hope Daniel Ballard has returned unscathed as he played two World Cup qualifiers for Northern Ireland over the international break.
Millwall are aiming to extend their unbeaten Championship run to eight games. There is a slim chance the Lions could end the weekend in the play-off places if they win and other results go their way.
Possible Millwall starting XI: 5-2-3: Bialkowski; McNamara, Ballard, Hutchinson, M Wallace, Malone; Evans, Kieftenbeld; J Wallace, Afobe, Ojo.
Match odds: Millwall 4/7 Draw 5/2 Luton 2/1
Last meeting: Championship (February 23, 2021): Luton 1-1 Millwall (Adebayo 55; Evans 90+5).
Millwall: 3-4-3: 33 Bialkowski; 4 Hutchinson, 15 Pearce, 28 Evans; 12 Romeo, 19 Woods (Williams, 75), 8 Thompson (Bennett, 61), 14 Malone; 7 J Wallace, 22 Bödvarsson (Burey, 75), 9 Bradshaw (Smith, 61).
Image: Millwall FC