"I expect" - Millwall prediction made ahead of Crystal Palace, Romain Esse reunion | OneFootball

The 19-year-old could well come up against his former side this weekend, with a place in the last eight of the FA Cup at stake

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Millwall head to Crystal Palace in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday, with plenty of anticipation building as the local rivals get set to fight tooth and nail for a place in the quarter-finals of the competition.

The Lions have defeated Dagenham and Redbridge as well as Leeds United to get to this stage of the competition, while the Eagles overcame Stockport County and Doncaster Rovers to book their place in the last 16 this weekend.

While local pride, as well as a place in the next round, will be at stake, it will also see a swift reunion with attacking sensation Romain Esse, with the forward leaving The Den to join the Premier League side just last month in a deal said to be in the region of £12 million.

With that in mind, we asked Football League World’s Millwall fan pundit Lucas Ball how he expects his side to shape up against top-flight opposition this weekend, with a potential selection dilemma for Alex Neil at full-back.

Joe Bryan issue discussed ahead of Millwall, Crystal Palace clash

Joe Bryan had to be replaced around the hour mark during Millwall’s trip to Derby County last weekend, with the 31-year-old said to have cut the bridge of his foot during the clash with the Rams.

The former Fulham player was replaced by Zak Sturge for the remainder of the game at Pride Park, in what was the 20-year-old’s first Championship outing of the season, having joined on loan from Chelsea in the recent transfer window.

If Esse is indeed selected to play his former side this weekend, one of the two could well be faced with the tricky teenage talent on their side of the pitch, with Ball left lamenting a lack of options available to boss Alex Neil.

When asked about who could get the nod on Saturday, the Lions fan said: “Joe Bryan has got some defensive liabilities, and we have seen that throughout his time with Millwall. He hasn’t had a great spell with us at all, really.

“We have just got a lack of depth there and have done for a while. Zak Sturge came on for him at the weekend and looked decent to be fair, given it was his first senior football for a while.

“We will see which one of them starts at the weekend. Alex Neil expects Bryan to be back fit, so there is every chance that he does come back in, and I expect he probably will, despite Sturge doing relatively well off the bench at Derby.”

Romain Esse reunion could play into Millwall’s hands

This season really saw Esse come of age in the Millwall side, with his mesmerising ball skills and rapid pace leaving defenders for dead when he got on the ball in the second tier, with Palace only too happy to make him theirs when January came around.

The 19-year-old still has plenty of time to develop, but looks set to have a career at the highest level of the game in his grasp after making his debut as a 17-year-old for Millwall back on Boxing Day 2022.

After his move to Selhurst Park for an eight-figure fee, the teenager marked his debut with a goal against Brentford, while also playing the last half-hour against Doncaster in the last round of the FA Cup.

Apart from that, game time has been limited for the former Millwall regular, and Ball believes his lack of match fitness could play into his side’s hands, as well as their knowledge of their former player’s game.

He continued: “If Esse is firing on all cylinders at the weekend, then he could cause Joe Bryan a problem, but I think we will know enough about Esse to know when to double up on him and all those sorts of things.

“Our players will have a really good idea about his game and the sort of things he will want to try and do given they have played with him for so long, so I am not quite as worried about him in that sense.

“We know he is a good player, but he has also not had that much game time since he went to Palace, although I am sure that will change in the next few years as he continues to develop there.

“He will get more game time and he will grow into his role, but our players will have that good understanding and be able to predict what he is able to do a little bit more.

“Without that game fitness, he isn’t going to be quite as sharp to cause us the same amount of problems as he might have done otherwise.”