Alex Neil on what Millwall striker ‘needs’ before he is ready for Championship comeback.

ALEX Neil stated that Kevin Nisbet needed more minutes in his legs before being ready to play for the first team in the Championship.

The 28-year-old spent the previous season on loan at Aberdeen, where he scored fourteen goals across all competitions and helped the Dons win the Scottish Cup.

The striker returned to the Lions’ squad this summer, but was unable to play in any of the pre-season friendlies.

On August 12, he made his Millwall debut in nearly a year, replacing Josh Coburn in the 64th minute of the Lions’ 1-0 win over Newport County in the EFL Cup first round. He was left out of Millwall’s first two league games.

Nisbet started for the under-21s in an away game against Hull City on Tuesday, August 19, and played 65 minutes. “What he needs is minutes,” Neil told NewsAtDen.

“Today, you have [Ra’ees] Bangura-Williams playing for the U-21s. Adam Mayor plays for the under-21s. You have Dan Kelly playing for the under-21s.

You have Ajay Matthews. If Alfie [Doughty] had not been injured, Zak Sturge would most likely be playing for the under-21s. “The under-21s are a vehicle for us to get minutes into lads’ legs who would otherwise not get them.

So that’s how we see it. “It’s not a punishment, it’s not their position in the pecking order, or anything like that.

“The problem we have with Kevin is that he has only played thirty minutes at Newport this preseason. That’s all he has. “So, we have a game coming up against Coventry.

We have a game against Sheffield United this weekend. Kevin isn’t quite ready right now, especially for the one coming up at the weekend, I believe. “We’ll see how he goes today and then make a more informed decision.

But we’ll try to get as many minutes into these guys’ legs as possible so that when they’re called upon, they’re prepared to do their job.”

The striker joined Millwall from Hibernian for £2 million in the summer of 2023. Nisbet netted five goals in seventeen Championship appearances in 2023-24 before joining Aberdeen last summer.

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