Millwall handed TRIPLE injury blow ahead of Sunderland clash in the Championship

Millwall’s captain, Shaun Hutchinson, was withdrawn against Cardiff City with a groin injury. Hutchinson was replaced by former Sunderland transfer target Charlie Cresswell, who scored the opening goal of the game just a few minutes later.

“On the day, he said he could feel something pop,” Rowett said of Hutchinson to the local media after the game.

“We’re hoping that it’s not too serious, we’re hoping that it might be a sort of three to four-week injury, but we’re obviously awaiting the exact prognosis. If it is, it probably takes us into the international break and he’ll probably be back just as we come back, so that’ll be good timing I think.

“He’s obviously our captain. I think his form has been good recently and his defending has looked like he’s got that little bit of extra sharpness back again. But like we said before, every injury gives someone else an opportunity. It’s not what we want, but that’s how we have to see it and that’s why we have a good squad this year, so people now have to step up.

“The likes of Cressy [Cresswell], who was really unlucky not to start anyway, but obviously it’s a potential opportunity for him.”

Mason Bennett and Ryan Leonard are also injured with the pair having both suffered hamstring tears.

Apart from the aforementioned trio, Rowett believes was upbeat about the health of his squad but will assess Tyler Burey ahead of Saturday’s match at Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

“Tyler’s got a little knock to his knee that we’re just exploring, but we don’t think it’s too serious. Again, I think we’ll find out tomorrow [Tuesday] morning.

“I gave the players a couple of days off because of the journey in the week and the fact that they got back at around seven or eight o’clock in the morning. We’ve got a clear week this week so it’s a good chance to give them a little bit of rest, and we’ll go again tomorrow with a tough day to make up for it.

“We’ll see how he is, but he’s probably the only one that’s had a knock from the game.”

Sunderland faced Middlesbrough in the league on Monday evening at the Riverside. Boro won the clash 1-0 thanks to a goal in the first half which handed Chris Wilder’s side a vital three points in the Championship.

Sunderland’s preparations for the game had been rocked when talismanic striker Ross Stewart was withdrawn in the warm-up, the Scot appearing to pick up a muscle injury while practicing his shooting.

"He was shooting in the warm up, he's popped a muscle in his thigh," Mowbray said.

"It seems a very isolated spot so whether it's a tear in the upper thigh where he's struck the ball... I can't tell you anymore at the moment, it needs a scan.

"It'll either come back grade one, two or three and it's two weeks, four weeks or eight weeks. We'll just have to wait and see."