Millwall to be without 'assured' star for Bristol City and Watford clashes

Millwall manager Alex Neil will have to rework his squad this week for Championship meetings with Bristol City and Watford following a red card to goalkeeper Liam Roberts against Crystal Palace.

The shot-stopper was sent off after just eight minutes after a flying challenge took out Eagles forward Jean-Phillipe Mateta. The Frenchman was taken to hospital but has since been discharged.

That tackle was the talking point from the 3-1 defeat with Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish coming to speak to the BBC at half-time to criticise the player. Parish said :“So far what we know, he has a bad gash behind his ear and a head injury. He's at the hospital, we hope for the best. There's a lot of emotion in football but we need to talk about that challenge.

"In all the time I've watched football, I've never seen a challenge like it. I looked to see how old the 'keeper was, he's 30 years old. That is the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I think I've ever seen, and I think he needs to have a long, hard look at himself, that lad, because he's maybe endangering a fellow professional's life with a challenge like that.

"It's very difficult for me to talk about the rest of the game because we're worried about JP [Mateta]. And it's just a terrible, terrible challenge... Why the referee needed to go to the screen, I've got no idea.”

Speaking after the game, Millwall boss Neil defended Roberts from accusations of malicious intent. He said: "I think the ball went in behind, [goalkeeper] Liam Roberts has come out which he has done in many games he's played. He's misjudged it and caught the lad. He has mistimed it, he got sent off which at that stage made the game doubly difficult for us.

"I don't think it is meant. I don't think there is any intent, why would there be intent? We don't want the lad to be injured. We wish him well and hope he is back on the pitch soon. It was a mistiming, he was sent off, he is disappointed and will hope Mateta is fine, which we all do.

"You are playing Premier League opposition on their own ground so it is a difficult task with 11 men. The nature of the goals probably disappoint me the most."

Millwall goalkeeper suspended after Crystal Palace red card

Roberts has only made two Championship appearances this season for Millwall but has been in the matchday squad in all but one game. The 30-year-old has started four of the Lions’ five cup fixtures this term.

The red card shown to Roberts was in an FA Cup game but that suspension will now carry over into the Championship. That means that Neil will have to turn to a new second-choice goalkeeper against Bristol City on Tuesday and Watford on Saturday - although Jensen and Roberts are the only first team shot-stoppers at the club.

Roberts filled in for Jensen following the first choice’s injury against Luton Town, keeping a clean sheet in the next league fixture against Portsmouth. He also impressed when beating Leeds United in the FA Cup fourth round.

Alex Neil praises ‘assured’ goalkeeper

Speaking after victory at Elland Road, Neil said: “You’re going to have to defend your box well, you’re going to have to rely on your keeper on occasions when you play Leeds.

“I mean you’re not going to have it where it’s all one way. They’re going to have opportunities because they’re a very good side. They’ve got real quality in attacking areas and I think the stats suggests that over the course of the season.

“So we knew we were going to have to defend, we knew our goalkeeper was going to have to have a good game and the flip side of that is just to make sure that we’re not passive in the match, which we weren’t. So that was probably the most pleasing thing. I thought when we needed Liam he was very assured in what he did.”

In other news, one Crystal Palace exile is performing ‘excellently’ on loan with his new manager labelling him as ‘fantastic’.