Sheffield United face Millwall at Bramall Lane this evening looking to build on a fine comeback victory against Stoke City at the weekend.
Goals from Lys Mousset and David McGoldrick ensured that the Blades came away with a big three points. However, Slavisa Jokanovic will be looking to build on that this evening when Gary Rowett brings his Millwall side to town.
Rowett will come to The Lane with a squad full of seasoned Championship players. In and among them, are several quality operators who the Blades need to keep tabs on.
Here, we’ve looked at THREE Millwall stars for Sheffield United fans to keep an eye on this evening.
Jed Wallace
It’s an obvious place to start, but former Wolves winger Wallace is the creative force in this Millwall team. If you can stop Wallace, then you can stop a lot of what is good about this Lions side.
Wallace acts as chief creator and goal scorer. This season, he’s already notched four times, while providing the same amount in terms of assists. That’s on top of the ten goals he hit last term.
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Put simply, if United can prevent Wallace getting involved, then they’ll have gone a long way to stopping Millwall. The 27-year-old is out of contract in the summer, and he’s a player who wouldn’t look out of place in a Slavisa Jokanovic side.
Dan Ballard
At the opposite end of the pitch, Millwall have an impressive youngster in the ranks in the form of Arsenal starlet, Dan Ballard.
Ballard, 22, has started every game for Millwall this season. The young Gunner might operate at the back, but he’s more than adept at bringing the ball out and playing if needed.
At over six feet tall, Ballard is one of a few players in this Lions side who offer a physical presence as well at set-pieces. Certainly, he’s one for United to keep tabs on this evening.
Matt Smith
It’s impossible to mention this Millwall side without bringing up the giant striker that is Matt Smith.
At over 6ft 4, Smith is a huge presence at the top of the pitch. And while he has only scored the one goal all season, we’ve seen United struggle at West Brom with big, physical players. Smith’s inclusion up top, then, will set alarm bells ringing in the Blades camp.
Of course, John Egan and Ben Davies are more than good enough to deal with the big striker if they play well. However, from long-throws, set-pieces, and long punts forward, Smith will cause issues for any defence in the league.
United and Jokanovic, then, will need a plan to get to grips with the experienced forward from the outset.