Due to a fractured bone in his knee, Millwall’s Ryan Leonard will miss this Saturday’s Championship match against Preston North End.
But Lions manager Gary Rowett does not anticipate the dynamic midfielder’s absence from the field for an extended period of time.
The 31-year-old has started the last eight games in a row mostly in defense and has made 10 appearances in the Championship this season.
However, Leonard partnered with Casper de Norre in the middle of the field for Rowett’s team in the 2-2 draw with Hull prior to the October break.
The Deepdale game on Saturday is also expected to be missed by Duncan Watmore and Kevin Nisbet.
“He’s got a cracked bone in his knee,” Rowett told the South London Press.
“We think he did it against Plymouth. He had an incident where he went down against Plymouth, but he managed to get through the whole game.
“He felt sore afterwards. It looks likely he will need a bit of rest and then see where it is.
“It’s a couple of weeks rest. That’s the general feeling with it. It’s not ideal, but it could have been worse.”
The former Plymouth Argyle youngster has made 139 appearances for Millwall since joining from Sheffield United.
Rowett added: “Lenny is the one you can use in a different position and you can then revert back – he gives you the ability to change formation without changing the team.
“It’s nice to have the flexibility, but it’s also nice to have someone performing at a very, very high level.
“At centre-back, he has been as good as anyone in that position – he can deal with pace, and movement and he can step in and join in.
“He is as excellent as anyone on the team when he is healthy and available. He provides you with the strength and athleticism of the Premier League, which is difficult to find.
“This one [the injury] is solely the result of bad luck. I hope he won’t miss too much of the action.
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