Jem Karacan could be on his way out of Millwall next week with his contract set to expire.

With Neil Harris recalling Ben Thompson from his successful loan spell at Portsmouth, it means the 29-year-old has further dropped down the pecking order.

The midfielder joined on a short-term deal at the start of the season and has made just four substitute appearances in the league this term, equating for 13 minutes in total.

The Lions were light in the middle of the pitch with Shaun Williams out injured, but the emergence of Ryan Tunnicliffe saw the former Turkey U21’s chances limited.

The League Cup had given Karacan more opportunity to play, but with Thompson now back at The Den, it places the future of midfielder in doubt.

In quotes taken by NewsAtDen, Harris spoke at length about the 29-year-old’s future heading into the final week of his deal admitting he could leave but did not entirely rule out him staying.

“Jem’s still with us at the moment,” Harris said.

“Jem is in the same category that Byron [Webster] was and a couple of others where he’s not played a lot of football.

“He’s out of contract next week, so he is free to talk to other clubs and maybe move.

“I know he has enjoyed his time here, and we’ve certainly enjoyed having him, he’s a great lad and a brilliant pro.

“The opportunity hasn’t really come for him. Talks for Jem to stay are a possibility.

“The real thought for Jem at the moment has got to be to play first-team football, whether the opportunity arises here or somewhere else.

“Obviously Jem wants to get his future sorted, but sometimes you need to be patient to find the right club.

“It’s not clear-cut that he won’t be with us, but I certainly support Jem in his thought process that he needs to play regular football.”

The verdict

Realistically, Karacan will probably be looking for a new club come the end of next week.

Ben Thompson had been on fire for Portsmouth and hopefully brings that form back to The Den for Millwall fans' sakes.

With Shaun Williams back from injury, too, his place in the side has fallen further, and with game time already restricted, it could well be even more at a premium.

There is a player there with plenty to offer still, but unfortunately, it won’t be with Millwall.

He was a good stop-gap for the midfield issues the Lions had but was not needed as much as Harris may have thought.