'Let’s get to Sunderland' - Millwall boss Garry Rowett delivers friendly verdict ahead of Black Cats clash

Sunderland will resume their league campaign a week before the rest of the division against Millwall at the Stadium of Light in the Championship.

The original fixture between the two sides was rearranged after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II earlier this season,

The Black Cats played a fiery mid-season friendly in Dubai against Saudi Arabian side Al-Shabab whilst the Lions drew 1-1 with Brondby at The Den.

Rowett’s men took lead through Murray Wallace’s long-range goal but quite couldn't hold on to their advantage.

“That was the main think today, it felt a bit like a pre-season friendly,” he said after the game to the Southwark News.

“It’s a very different type of game and sometimes against these foreign opponents where they move the ball really well, it’s a little bit like Hammarby, they move it in unconventional ways. When the fans aren’t there to put them under a little bit more pressure and some parts of the game feel a little bit like ‘ugh, god, blow the whistle and let’s get to Sunderland.’

“That’s the nature of it, and for us it was the workout, it was the fitness, everyone’s come through unscathed. We’ve mixed the teams up so, again, you get a little bit of a lack of continuity within the game at times. I thought, in the second half, we started really well for about 25 minutes and then I make the changes and it just changes the momentum a little bit and changes our ability to press well.

“There are some bits of it that you accept, as a manager, aren’t going to be perfect, but I think most of the players got 45 minutes, some got a little bit more that I wanted to give a bit longer to, and it takes us into Tuesday with another opportunity to get game time.

“That’s all it’s about, it’s about getting us through to Sunderland and trying to keep a little bit of continuity going if we can.”