Millwall vs Cardiff City. Sky Bet Championship.
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Watch live on Sky Sports Football Red Button and the Sky Sports app from 7.40pm on Tuesday; Kick-off 7.45pm
Tuesday 22 October 2019 12:07, UK
Millwall face Cardiff in the Sky Bet Championship on Tuesday. Coverage gets under way live on Sky Sports Football Red Button at 7.40pm; Kick-off 7.45pm.
Millwall caretaker Adam Barrett will manage the side for the last time against Cardiff, after the club appointed Gary Rowett on Monday night. Midfielder Ryan Leonard remains sidelined by the knee injury he sustained against Leeds at the start of this month.
Winger Jiri Skalak is closing in on a return to the squad after overcoming a foot injury. The likes of Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Matt Smith and Aiden O'Brien will be pressing for starts following the 3-2 defeat at Brentford last time out.
Cardiff boss Neil Warnock is likely to rotate his squad following Friday's 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday, with the Bluebirds boss likely to have half an eye on Sunday's derby clash with Swansea. Warnock withdrew midfielder Leandro Bacuna after 34 minutes at Hillsborough, but that was part of a tactical switch rather than injury, and the Dutchman could start if Cardiff persevere with a three-man midfield.
Junior Hoilett is among those pushing for a start, having only made the bench on Friday following international duty with Canada. Sol Bamba returned from an eight-month injury absence for the Under-23s on Monday so will not be rushed back into the first-team squad, while Ashley Richards and Isaac Vassell are sidelined until November.
Buoyed by their shock 2-1 win over Leeds before the international break, the Lions looked set to record consecutive wins when they entered the final six minutes of their clash with Brentford on Saturday, but they were dealt a late shock of their own when the Bees hit back to earn a stunning 3-2 victory. Prior to the Leeds game, they'd drawn successive games 1-1 with Luton and Huddersfield.
Cardiff's inconsistency is costing them of late. They drew 1-1 with Sheffield Wednesday in front of Sky Sports' cameras on Friday night, following a 4-2 defeat to leaders West Brom and a 3-0 win at home to QPR. Neil Warnock's men are yet to win more than one game in succession and sit 11th going into Tuesday's clash.
It's almost been three weeks since Neil Harris resigned from his position as Millwall boss, having been in charge since April 2015, and they have finally announced his successor, with Rowett announced as their new boss on Monday.
Millwall are likely to be able to expect a slight change in approach. Being a Lions legend, Harris stuck to the style principles, with directness and aggression at the very heart, but from Rowett's time with Birmingham, Derby and Stoke, it's clear he prefers his side to play a slightly more attractive brand of football.
There have been just six goals scored in the last eight league meetings between Millwall and Cardiff since a 3-3 draw in March 2011.
Cardiff have won just one of their last nine away league visits to Millwall (W1 D6 L2), a 2-0 win in September 2012.
Millwall have won just one of their last nine league games (D4 L4), although this was their last home match in the Championship (2-1 v Leeds United).
Cardiff City have lost eight of their last nine games played on Tuesday in all competitions.
Millwall striker Matt Smith has been involved in four goals in four league starts against Cardiff City (3 goals, 1 assist).
Cardiff manager Neil Warnock has won just two of his last 20 away league games in London (W2 D6 L12), with one of those away at Millwall with Leeds in March 2012.
David Prutton predicts: 2-1 (9/1)
