Millwall V Wigan at Wembley Stadium : Match Preview

12 April 2013 13:39
Millwall V Wigan - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.


Trotter worry for Lions

Millwall are sweating on the fitness of Liam Trotter ahead of the FA Cup semi-final against Wigan.

Midfielder Trotter missed Tuesday night's 2-1 defeat by Sheffield Wednesday with a knee injury and manager Kenny Jackett rates him 50-50 to feature at Wembley.

James Henry is in line to start after proving his fitness as a substitute against the Owls following a month out with knee ligament damage, which it was initially thought would end his season.

Fellow winger Martyn Woolford and on-loan Crystal Palace striker Jermaine Easter are cup-tied but defender Sean St Ledger, who recently signed on loan from Leicester, is available.

Danny Shittu leads the Lions out with club captain Paul Robinson still sidelined by a groin injury.

Millwall, 16th in the npower Championship and still not safe from relegation, are big underdogs for the game but Shittu admits they would not want it any other way.

"It's been a crazy couple of weeks but we have calmed down now and we are preparing for this like any other game," he added.

"If we work hard, do what we need to do and what we normally do, then we have a good chance of winning.

"Wigan have good attacking players and when you are playing a Premier League team you have to be mentally strong and aware, it's one of those games where if you make half a mistake they will score.

"We tend to play better when we are underdogs. We believe we can go out there, put on a good performance and win the game."

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez will be picking from strength for the club's first FA Cup semi-final.

The Latics chief reports no fresh injury concerns.

His major selection dilemmas centre around whether to partner James McArthur or Jordi Gomez with James McCarthy in central midfield and if Callum McManaman will be selected ahead of Franco di Santo.

Martinez finds himself facing a familiar figure in the opposite dugout in Kenny Jackett, who made him captain at Swansea, where they spent two years together.

"Kenny has had real success over the last few years but that is no surprise to me," Martinez said.

"It will be great to see him again but this game is not about managers. It is about two sets of players who will both be giving it everything to reach the final."

If anything, Wigan's run to the last four has been more surprising than Millwall's because Martinez has never given the impression of being prepared to give even a cursory glance at cup competitions.

They had not been beyond the fourth round under Martinez, and his sides for the two third-round clashes with Bournemouth were unrecognisable to the one he will name.

Yet the Spaniard insists the cup run has had a positive effect on their Premier League form - a statement born out by the present run of 12 points from the last eight games, and seven from three since that stunning sixth-round defeat of Everton at Goodison Park.

"It has helped," he said. "It has given us a fresh approach. The FA Cup has allowed us to see other players and has been a very important influence in our league form.

"It means are allowed to forget about that for a few days because we know we have been doing our job."










Source: PA