Alex Neil Concerned Over Casper de Norre Injury After Millwall's Defeat

Alex Neil cut a blunt figure after Millwall’s 3-0 defeat at Wrexham, admitting the injury suffered by Casper de Norre looks serious and describing it as the turning point of the night.

The 29-year-old midfielder went down shortly before half-time with Millwall 1-0 behind in Wednesday’s Championship fixture and was forced off, leaving his head coach deeply concerned.

"It's not good," Neil told BBC Radio London. "Senior players know their bodies and he's definitely felt a pop of some kind."

From there, Millwall unravelled.

Neil believed losing De Norre ripped the structure out of his side. With injuries already biting, his options were threadbare and his reshuffle quickly turned into damage limitation.

"I thought the big turning point was when we lost Casper," he said. "He comes off, and Derek [Mazou-Sacko] is not really quite ready to play – he was probably due to get about 20 minutes. That's why Camiel [Neghli] came on initially and then we put Derek on later on."

The makeshift midfield told its own story. The two youngsters in the middle, Daniel Kelly and Jenson Metcalfe, began to cramp. Up front, Josh Coburn was hobbling with a heel problem. Millwall’s bench stopped being a resource and became a necessity.

"We ended up having to make wholesale changes," Neil explained. "And the difficulty you've got with that is that the understanding throughout the players on the pitch is diluted.

"When you come up against an experienced team like Wrexham, it makes it a difficult task."

The scoreline underlined that. What had been a manageable one-goal deficit turned into a comprehensive 3-0 defeat, with Millwall’s cohesion disappearing as the changes piled up.

Neil did not hide from the wider issue either. His squad is stretched to breaking point.

"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," he said.

There is at least a hint of relief on the horizon. Neil is hopeful of having Tairyk Arconte and Kyrell Lisbie back in contention for Saturday’s game against Bolton, adding much-needed depth to a threadbare group.

He could also turn to a familiar face. Romain Esse, re-signed from Crystal Palace, may be drafted straight into the squad if his fitness allows.

"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."

Millwall now head into the weekend juggling injuries, form and fragile confidence. The question is whether reinforcements and returning bodies arrive in time to stop this early-season strain from hardening into a full-blown crisis.