Millwall V Blackburn at The Den : Match Preview

10 March 2013 01:15
Millwall V Blackburn - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.


Lions to check Hulse

Millwall will check on Rob Hulse ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final against Blackburn.

The on-loan QPR striker has missed the last three matches with a stomach injury but could return.

Martyn Woolford is cup-tied and fellow winger James Henry was this week ruled out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury.

The Lions have also lost on-loan Arsenal forward Benik Afobe to a cruciate ligament injury, although he too would have been ineligible.

Boss Kenny Jackett vowed to make further changes following Tuesday night's home defeat by Wolves so Liam Trotter could return in midfield having lost his place recently.

Jackett is hoping his side can arrest their recent slump in league form at The Den and secure a place in the semi-finals.

"I just think it is a great opportunity, if you had a choice you would take a home game all day," he said.

"We are going to sell it out, pack the place, there will be a great atmosphere there and the crowd will be behind us and it is just a fantastic opportunity and if that makes us favourites we just have to look at the chance we have got.

"I think there is a big build-up to the game, you can see with the media attention which is great to see with the atmosphere generated in the build-up to the game.

"There is a different atmosphere and everyone is eager for the big game, which is live on television as well.

"It is a great prospect, it really is. It is something I haven't had as a manager and they have been good cup runs for both sides and I'm sure they feel the same.

"We have home advantage and we have to make that tell and we haven't done that of late - we need to use the crowd and feed off them."

Leon Best is in line to make his first Blackburn start.

Best, who suffered cruciate knee ligament damage shortly after a #3million summer move from Newcastle, made his long-awaited Rovers debut from the bench during the closing stages of Tuesday's night's 1-0 npower Championship defeat at Bolton.

The Republic of Ireland international appears set to partner Jordan Rhodes in attack as DJ Campbell is cup-tied.

Rovers boss Michael Appleton knows from experience how important it is for his players to keep their cool at The Den.

"I hope the players make sure they stay a little bit more professional than I did in my first appearance at The Den because that was the first place I got sent off as a player for Preston," he explained.

"Someone made a really bad challenge on me before I reacted. I was a young player at the time and it was an intimating atmosphere.

"It's one of them where, as a player, you've got to control your emotions with regards to what's going on around you."




Source: PA