Ready to battle for second-tier honours after October's international break, Millwall and Derby County will clash at The Den in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.
The Lions secured a share of the spoils at West Bromwich Albion prior to the two-week pause, whilst the Rams picked up another home victory at the expense of Queens Park Rangers.
Match preview
![Millwall manager Neil Harris pictured in April 2024 [IMAGO]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/25/neil-harris.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Millwall manager Neil Harris pictured in April 2024 [IMAGO]")
© Imago
After a 13th-placed finish in the Championship during the 2023-24 campaign - their lowest in five years - Millwall are on a mission this time around to compete at the upper echelons of the division once again, although Saturday's hosts have won just two of their opening nine matches.
Back-to-back away games prior to October's international break at Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion yielded just a single point combined, with the Lions handing the struggling Bluebirds their maiden win of the term on October 1 before playing out a goalless draw with the promotion-chasing Baggies four days later.
Collecting a less-than-inspiring total of nine points from their opening nine matches of the 2024-25 season, Millwall are currently occupying 18th position in the Championship standings, seven points behind sixth-placed Watford and only two ahead of QPR in the relegation zone.
With flying Dutchman Zian Flemming securing a summer switch to Burnley and Tom Bradshaw suffering with fitness issues, Duncan Watmore has stepped up to the attacking plate for the Lions so far, with his five goals in the second tier only bettered by Josh Maja (7) and Borja Sainz (7) at this stage.
Following a pair of tricky away contests before the international break, Neil Harris's troops are at The Den in four of their next five Championship matches, representing a massive opportunity to move away from danger, even if title challengers Burnley and Leeds United are the visitors in early November.
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After a two-year absence from the second tier of English football and escape from the stresses of League One earlier in the calendar year, Derby County have made a highly-respectable start to life back in the Championship, although there is a clear area for improvement as the campaign approaches the harsh winter months.
The Rams travel to The Den on Saturday afternoon with zero points from their four away contests so far in 2024-25, meaning that Paul Warne's troops are the only outfit in the division who are yet to collect any points on the road, losing matches to Blackburn Rovers, Watford, Sheffield United and Sunderland.
Derby have been saved from the immediate worries of a relegation dogfight due to their stellar form at Pride Park Stadium, with Saturday's visitors to the capital earning all 12 of their Championship points so far across four victories at the East Midlands fortress.
After members of the old guard such as Martyn Waghorn and James Collins were integral to the Rams' promotion-winning campaign of 2023-24, Warne's side have moved in a different direction this season as they seek second-tier safety, with the likes of Nat Phillips and David Ozoh providing Premier League experience.
Despite The Den's reputation of being a formidable place to visit, Derby have collected seven points from their last three Championship trips to Millwall's base, including maximum points in December 2020 when Jason Knight netted the only goal of the contest in the second half.
Team News
© Imago
Millwall will assess the fitness levels of Mihailo Ivanovic and George Saville following their international exploits with Serbia and Northern Ireland respectively.
The Lions remain light at the top end of the pitch due to the absences of former Walsall bagsman Bradshaw and Middlesbrough loanee Josh Coburn.
The hosts are unable to call upon the talents of midfielder Billy Mitchell due to a hip injury, meaning that Casper de Norre is almost certain to continue in the engine room.
Despite having two weeks during the international break to recover further, Derby's Ozoh is unlikely to be available following a hamstring injury in September.
The Rams could also be short at left-back because of Callum Elder's muscle issue, so Craig Forsyth is set to start in the backline once again.
Millwall possible starting lineup:
Jensen; Leonard, Tanganga, Cooper, McNamara; De Norre, Saville; Esse, Honeyman, Watmore; Langstaff
Derby County possible starting lineup:
Zetterstrom; Nyambe, Nelson, Cashin, Forsyth; Goudmijn, Adams, Harness; Jackson, Mendez-Laing, Yates
We say: Millwall 1-0 Derby County
With two matches in the space of five days at The Den on the horizon, Millwall should be raring to record back-to-back wins, starting with victory over newly-promoted Derby this weekend.
The Rams have been very weak on their Championship travels so far and are set to struggle in the capital at a hostile venue on Saturday afternoon.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Carter White
