Casper de Norre Injury Concerns After Millwall's Defeat
Alex Neil fears the worst for midfielder Casper de Norre after the Belgian limped out of Millwall’s bruising defeat at Wrexham – and admits the loss of his on-field general changed the game.
De Norre, 29, went off just before half-time in Wednesday night’s Championship clash with the Lions 1-0 down. By full-time, they had been swept aside 3-0.
“I thought the big turning point was when we lost Casper,” Neil told BBC Radio London, laying bare the scale of the concern. “It’s not good. Senior players know their bodies and he’s definitely felt a pop of some kind.”
The moment he left the pitch, Millwall’s plans began to unravel.
Neil had already been managing a patched-up squad. Derek Mazou-Sacko, who is still short of full fitness, was only pencilled in for a late cameo. That forced the head coach into a reshuffle he never wanted.
“He comes off, and Derek is not really quite ready to play – he was probably due to get about 20 minutes,” Neil explained. “That’s why Camiel [Neghli] came on initially and then we put Derek on later on.”
The knock-on effect was brutal. The midfield engine room, suddenly short on experience, had to be carried by youngsters Daniel Kelly and Jenson Metcalfe. Both began to cramp as the game wore on. Up front, Josh Coburn’s heel problem flared up.
Under the floodlights, Millwall’s bench started to empty.
“We ended up having to make wholesale changes,” Neil said. “And the difficulty you’ve got with that is that the understanding throughout the players on the pitch is diluted.
“When you come up against an experienced team like Wrexham, it makes it a difficult task.”
The scoreline underlined the point. Wrexham, streetwise and settled, punished a Millwall side that finished the night looking like a team held together by tape and hope.
Neil did not hide his frustration at the wider picture.
“It’s frustrating because we’re probably down to our last third of the squad in terms of trying to get a team on the pitch and trying to be competitive at the level.”
Yet the schedule offers no sympathy. Bolton arrive on Saturday, and Neil must somehow piece together a side with enough legs and know-how to respond.
There is at least a glimmer of relief. Tairyk Arconte and Kyrell Lisbie could return to the squad for the weekend, while Romain Esse is in contention after rejoining from Crystal Palace.
“We’ll see where he is, if he’s available and ready,” Neil said of Esse. “I don’t think he’s done loads over the pre-season so we need to be careful.”
Millwall’s season is barely up and running, but already the squad is being stretched to its limits. The next few weeks will reveal whether this is just an early storm – or the shape of a long, hard campaign.
