Alex Neil confirms 'bizarre' Mihailo Ivanovic situation at Millwall | OneFootball

Millwall boss Alex Neil has provided an injury update on striker Mihailo Ivanovic as the team return to pre-season.

Millwall are preparing for the 2026/27 Championship season with the belief that they can win promotion to the Premier League.

The Lions had an excellent campaign last time out as they finished third, but it ultimately ended in disappointment as they were beaten by Hull City over two legs in the play-offs.

Now, though, Millwall will be focused on trying to go one better this season, and work has already begun on reshaping Alex Neil’s squad, with Tairyk Arconte and Mathis Servais among the new arrivals in the window.

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Alex Neil confirms Mihailo Ivanovic injury setback for Millwall

The duo will already be linking up with their new teammates on their pre-season trip to Spain, but one player who won’t be involved is Mihailo Ivanovic.

The Serbian enjoyed a fantastic first year in English football, scoring 12 goals, and there was an expectation that he would kick-on last season.

However, whilst Ivanovic certainly made a contribution to help Millwall to third-place, he didn’t have the same influence on the team, with the 21-year-old finding the net nine times.

Nevertheless, all connected to Millwall will expect Ivanovic to get back to his best, but, speaking to MillwallTV, as quoted by Southwark News, Neil has confirmed that a ‘freak’ foot issue is going to keep the player out, even if he didn’t give a definitive timeframe on how long he will be absent.

“We had an in-house game the other day, but we didn’t play Mihailo because he came back a little bit later due to international duty. He was jogging up and down the side. Unfortunately, he planted his foot, went to turn, and we heard the noise, which wasn’t great. We’ve had it scanned, and he’s sustained a foot injury, which is a bit bizarre in terms of how it happened.

“He’s going to need a procedure that’s going to take place today, I believe, and then hopefully he’ll be on the mend. Certainly not ideal from his perspective and certainly not ideal for our situation either. So really disappointed, but it’s a bit of a freak one.”

Mihailo Ivanovic can be a big player for Millwall this season

This is obviously a big blow for Ivanovic, as players often talk about the importance of pre-season, and he will be frustrated to be playing catch-up when he does return.

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But, the Championship is a slog with 46 games, and these things happen in football, so it’s just about recovering and then making an impact when he is fully fit.

With Josh Coburn at the club, and Arconte giving the Lions another option in the final third, Neil will feel he has enough options, and it remains to be seen whether more new faces arrive.

Either way, Ivanovic will have a big role to play for Millwall this season, and, whilst he may have underwhelmed at times last season, it’s important to remember just how young he is.

At 21, Ivanovic still has a lot of room for improvement, and he has all the attributes to be a top striker at this level, and potentially in the top flight.

So, this is a setback, but Millwall will manage Ivanovic carefully, and he will be determined to make a significant impact for the Londoners as they chase promotion.