Casper de Norre Injury Concerns as Millwall Faces Crisis
Alex Neil fears the worst over Casper de Norre injury as Millwall crisis deepens
Alex Neil did not try to dress it up. Casper de Norre’s injury is “not good” – and Millwall’s night unravelled the moment their midfielder limped off.
The 29-year-old was forced off just before half-time of Wednesday’s Championship defeat by Wrexham, with the Lions 1-0 down at the time. By full-time, it was 3-0 and ugly.
“I thought the big turning point was when we lost Casper,” Neil told BBC Radio London, laying bare the scale of the blow.
The diagnosis is not yet public, but the player’s reaction told its own story. “Senior players know their bodies and he’s definitely felt a pop of some kind.”
From there, Millwall’s already stretched squad was pushed to breaking point.
Derek Mazou-Sacko, still short of full fitness, had been pencilled in for a 20-minute cameo at most. Instead, Neil had to reshuffle on the fly. Camiel Neghli was thrown on first, with Mazou-Sacko introduced later as the game slipped away.
The middle of the pitch became a survival exercise. Youngsters Daniel Kelly and Jenson Metcalfe began to cramp. Josh Coburn’s heel flared up. Millwall’s structure, already fragile, simply fell apart under the strain.
“We ended up having to make wholesale changes,” Neil said. “The difficulty you’ve got with that is that the understanding throughout the players on the pitch is diluted.”
Against an organised, seasoned Wrexham side, that lack of cohesion was ruthlessly exposed. “When you come up against an experienced team like Wrexham, it makes it a difficult task,” Neil admitted.
This is not just about one bad night. It is about a squad creaking alarmingly early in the season.
“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,” Neil said, underlining the scale of the injury crisis.
There is at least a sliver of good news ahead of Saturday’s game against Bolton.
Neil expects to have Tairyk Arconte and Kyrell Lisbie back in the squad, offering fresh legs and a hint of balance. Romain Esse, re-signed from Crystal Palace, could also be involved if he proves ready in time.
“We’ll see where he is, if he’s available and ready,” Neil said. “I don’t think he’s done loads over the pre-season so we need to be careful.”
Careful or not, Millwall are running out of bodies – and out of time to steady a season that already feels like it’s on the edge.
