PREVIEW: Millwall look to close in on top two with win over Portsmouth | OneFootball

Alex Neil’s Millwall will be hoping to close the gap on Middlesbrough and Coventry as they host a Portsmouth side fighting for their lives in and around the relegation zone.

Sitting fourth in the Championship table and five points behind second-placed Boro, Millwall have been one of the season’s surprise packages and could go just two points behind the top two with a win over Pompey.

Back-to-back victories away at Wrexham and Sheffield Wednesday further proved to everyone that Millwall serious contenders for promotion to the Premier League for the first time in its history.

After recruiting Premier League duo Antony Patterson and Tom Watson from Brighton and Sunderland respectively, the Lions are clearly throwing their all at the chance of catching Boro and Coventry despite teams below them also circling.

Millwall have an almost entirely clean bill of health barring two hamstring injuries that have effected midfielders Will Smallbone and Dan Kelly.

Smallbone is expected to return in the next few weeks from his injury, but Kelly’s is far more serious and could rule him out for the rest of the season as he continues to face set-backs on his return, Neil has warmed.

At the other end of the table are the visitors to the Den, who were given a survival boost in recent weeks when Leicester City were handed a six-point deduction for breaching financial rules in the Premier League.

With that saga seemingly not over after both appealed the deduction and West Brom also struggling a fourth from bottom, Portsmouth could see this as the perfect chance to survive for another season in the Championship which would be impressive even by head coach John Mousinho’s high standards.

A emphatic 3-1 win over fellow strugglers Charlton Athletic in mid-week has put Pompey four points ahead of Leicester in 22nd place and up to 18th in the table.

Portsmouth have lost only twice in the league in 2026 and will be hoping their good form as of late can be continued when they need it the most and with the teams around them making managerial changes.

Injuries have been a frequent crux of their season so far and they have been hit with a few more in recent weeks.

Winger Josh Murphy remains out with a knock and isn’t expected to return for another month of so, and loanee striker Conor Chaplin isn’t expected to return for another week.

Defender Aje Alese has torn his quad and subsequently has returned to his parent club Sunderland to undergo his rehabilitation, with youngster Andre Dozzell also out for sometime.

However, belief remains high on the south-coast at the minute despite the setbacks and a win over Millwall will certainly raise it even higher.