Millwall boss Gary Rowett has admitted to News at Den that the club are now in the market for a defensive signing following recent injuries to some of their players in that area of the pitch. 

The Lions' boss has already lost Shaun Hutchinson, Danny McNamara and Ryan Leonard in more recent times, whilst Mahlon Romeo was absent from the squad which saw off Cambridge United in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

Both Hutchinson and McNamara are now expected to be out for up to six weeks, whilst Leonard should be back fit in under two as Millwall look to survey the situation after these latest fitness blows.

Now Rowett has admitted that the defence is an area that he could look to reinforce before next Tuesday's transfer deadline after the recent injuries that have been sustained:

"I think that's an area we probably need to strengthen, certainly short-term. 

"It's something we're looking at and the forward option is something we've spoken about previously. We still want to try to bring a player in there.

"Again, we need to balance things off to bring one in, so to bring two in means a little bit more work. But it's something we're looking at."

Rowett has already strengthened his defensive ranks this summer with the signings of Daniel Ballard and Scott Malone from Arsenal and Derby County respectively and will now be heading back to the drawing board in search of a new recruit in that area.

The Lions are due to face the FA Cup holders Leicester City at the Den in the next round of the Carabao Cup after the draw for the third round was made last night.

The Verdict 

The good news for Rowett and Millwall is that there is still time to bring in some much needed reinforcements to supplement their current defensive options.

Whilst it's not a situation that the club would have anticipated being in at this stage of the season, they do have to prepare for every eventuality.

A loanee from the Premier League could be a good option to pursue, whilst there are also various free agents that still remain on the market in search of a new club.

Rowett now needs to work out if he wants to go down the route of bringing in an experienced pro or an up and coming youngster before the deadline.