Alex Neil Concerned for Casper de Norre's Injury Impact on Millwall
Alex Neil fears the worst for midfielder Casper de Norre after the Belgian limped out of Millwall’s defeat at Wrexham – and admits his squad is being stretched to breaking point.
De Norre, 29, pulled up just before half-time in Wednesday night’s Championship clash with the score at 1-0 to the hosts. Without him, Millwall unravelled and were beaten 3-0.
“I thought the big turning point was when we lost Casper,” Neil told BBC Radio London, his assessment as blunt as the scoreline. “It’s not good. Senior players know their bodies and he’s definitely felt a pop of some kind.”
That one moment changed everything for Millwall.
With de Norre off, Neil’s options in midfield were already paper-thin. Derek Mazou-Sacko was on the bench but short of match fitness.
“Derek is not really quite ready to play – he was probably due to get about 20 minutes,” Neil explained.
That forced a reshuffle: Camiel Neghli came on first, with Mazou-Sacko introduced later as legs began to go.
The strain told on the youngsters. Daniel Kelly and Jenson Metcalfe, both thrown into the heart of the pitch, started to cramp. Up front, Josh Coburn was battling his own issue, struggling with a heel problem.
The domino effect was brutal.
“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.”
Against a seasoned Wrexham side, that lack of cohesion became glaring.
“When you come up against an experienced team like Wrexham, it makes it a difficult task,” he admitted. The 3-0 scoreline underlined the gap between an injury-hit Millwall and a home side that smelled weakness and punished it.
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.”
The calendar offers no sympathy. Bolton are next up on Saturday, and Millwall will head into that game still counting bodies and minutes.
There is, at least, a sliver of good news. Neil hopes to have Tairyk Arconte and Kyrell Lisbie back in contention for the weekend. Romain Esse, re-signed from Crystal Palace, could also feature if he proves ready in time.
“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.”
Careful or not, with de Norre facing a worrying spell on the sidelines and the squad already stretched, Millwall may have no choice but to lean on whoever can stand up and play.
