Middlesbrough welcome Millwall to the Riverside Stadium on Saturday, for what will be Neil Harris’ final game in charge of the Lions.
It was announced that the 47-year-old would be stepping down as Millwall manager following this weekend’s clash with Michael Carrick’s Boro. He rejoined the club as full-time manager for the second time in February, after spending a brief period in caretaker charge in 2013.
The Lions will travel to Teesside after losing 1-0 to Sheffield United at The Den, extending their winless streak to five games.
| Millwall’s last five Championship results | |
|---|---|
| Opponent | Result |
| Sheffield United (H) | 1-0 loss |
| Coventry City (H) | 1-0 loss |
| Oxford United (A) | 1-1 draw |
| Sunderland (H) | 1-1 draw |
| Stoke City (A) | 1-1 draw |
Middlesbrough are looking to bounce back from a dismal evening at Elland Road, where they were defeated 3-1 by Leeds United, leaving them winless in their past two games.
But which players will be unavailable to participate for their respective teams on Saturday? FLW looks at who will miss Middlesbrough at Millwall this weekend, beginning with the Teessiders.
Aidan Morris
Boro signed USA international Aidan Morris for £3.14 million, although he has been out with a knee injury since mid-November and has yet to resume full training.
Carrick expects his outstanding center midfielder to return around Christmas, or possibly even sooner.
However, Saturday’s game against Millwall will come too soon for the 23-year-old.
Rav van den Berg
Rav van den Berg, Boro’s central defender, has not been seen since the club’s 3-3 draw away to Norwich City in late October.
However, the Dutch youth international is back in training and might compete for a place in Middlesbrough’s squad this weekend.
His availability, however, is far from definite, and he must remain a doubt for a role, as Carrick will undoubtedly want to avoid bringing back his star defender before he is fit.
Dael Fry
Dael Fry has only recently returned to the Middlesbrough squad following a lengthy injury hiatus, but after missing the club’s most recent trip to Elland Road, he appears to be a doubt for Saturday as well.
He’s the latest member of the locker room to get ill, and he’ll likely be a game-time decision this weekend.
Carrick confirmed in his pre-match press conference on Thursday that left-winger Riley McGree is suffering from a chest infection. These infections can be tough to shake off in a matter of days, so like Fry, Boro’s medical staff appears to be waiting as long as possible before ruling him in or out of the Millwall team.
Darragh Lenihan
Darragh Lenihan, a central defender, is yet to appear for Middlesbrough this season after suffering Achilles tendinitis in preseason.
The Irish international has not worn a Boro shirt since September 2023, when he required ankle surgery.
Carrick confirmed at the start of December that he wouldn’t be fit until after Christmas, so he’s definitely in for Saturday.
Alex Bangura
Left-back Alex Bangura has had a nightmare of injuries throughout his Middlesbrough career, and he is yet to play this season.
There is no certainty that the Sierra Leone international will be able to return until the conclusion of the season, and he will almost surely not play against Millwall.
Lukas Engel
Fellow left back Lukas Engel has made a number of appearances for Middlesbrough this season, but the Dane hasn’t been seen since Boro’s 5-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Stoke City in late August.
However, he is already back in training and may return to the matchday squad this weekend, although this is far from guaranteed, so he remains a concern.
Tommy Smith
Tommy Smith was a pundit for Sky Sports’ coverage of Leeds against Middlesbrough this week as he continues to recover from a torn Achilles he suffered in October 2023.
As a result, he does not look to be ready to rejoin the team just yet, but he hopes to do so soon.
Calum Scanlon
Millwall’s first absentee will be Calum Scanlon, a 19-year-old left back.
The Liverpool loanee had a back injury in September and returned to his parent club to recover. He will be unavailable for this weekend’s trip to Teesside.
Daniel Kelly
Daniel Kelly, a midfielder, suffered an ankle injury in an Under-21 game at Watford last week and has been ruled out until the new year.
Prior to then, the 19-year-old had only made two league appearances and played a total of 18 minutes in the Championship for Millwall, frequently serving as an unused replacement on matchdays.
Jake Cooper
Millwall’s first major omission this weekend will be talented centre-back Jake Cooper.
Harris revealed in late November that the 29-year-old will be sidelined for up to ten weeks due to a significant knee injury, and as such, he will not be part of Millwall’s squad this weekend.
Josh Coburn
Another notable absence is Middlesbrough loanee Josh Coburn. The on-loan Boro striker would have been unable to face his parent club anyhow, but he couldn’t even if he was allowed to due to his most recent injury setback.
It has been revealed that the 22-year-old sustained a broken metatarsal in his foot and will be out for several months.
Shaun Hutchinson
Veteran centre-back Shaun Hutchinson could be available, but he has missed Millwall’s previous two games.
The 34-year-old has been out with a hamstring injury, although Harris had hoped to return for Wednesday’s game against Sheffield United.
He did not play in the 1-0 defeat, therefore his availability for this weekend is uncertain.
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