Neil Harris confirms serious Millwall blow that will concern Middlesbrough | OneFootball

The on-loan Middlesbrough striker is set for a significant spell on the sidelines once again.

Millwall manager Neil Harris has confirmed that on-loan Middlesbrough striker Josh Coburn has suffered a broken metatarsal in his foot, and will miss the entire festive period.

As detailed in an exclusive report by the South London Press on Tuesday, the big centre-forward is set to be sidelined for around the next two months, in what is a major blow to Harris and his Millwall team.

The Middlesbrough loanee was withdrawn at half-time in the Lions' 1-1 draw at Oxford United last weekend, with any hope of it being a precautionary measure to prevent a major injury now extinguished.

This is the latest injury setback in what has been a frustrating opening couple of months as a Millwall player for Coburn, after he'd previously missed around six weeks between mid-September-early November with a calf injury.

Neil Harris confirms extent of Josh Coburn's latest Millwall injury blow

Speaking with the South London Press this week, the Millwall boss has revealed that his side will be without their Middlesbrough loanee for a significant amount of time.

Harris said: "Josh is ruled out for the foreseeable future – after Christmas. He had got a broken metatarsal in his foot.

"He left the ground in a boot at the weekend, you know there is damage when that happens. It is probably a similar timeframe as Jake Cooper, you’re looking at probably both being eight weeks until they return.

“He is going to miss a large chunk of an important period of football. Josh, when he is on the pitch, showed in the first half his qualities as a Millwall number nine and why, his importance to the squad and why we were so desperate to bring him in, as a profile as a striker at the football club.

“It is a big loss but we have coped very well without him in the past and we will have to do in the future.”

Coburn will be a big miss for Millwall during crucial part of the season

As Harris made reference to, despite only making seven appearances for Millwall so far this season - all of which coming in the Championship -, the reasons for bringing Coburn to The Den had already become obvious to Lions supporters.

He's a big, physical centre-forward who can hold the ball up well, and evolve into that role of being the focal point in the Millwall attack this season. For such a young striker, he's displayed impressive instincts and intelligence too.

Coburn looked like the type of centre-forward who would thrive playing in Harris' system, but injuries have been a frustratingly common occurrence during his senior career so far, as he's struggled to stay fit for an extended period of time.

Harris will now have to place his trust in the likes of Tom Bradshaw, Macaulay Langstaff and Mihailo Ivanovic to score the goals from the centre-forward position until either Coburn returns, or he can strengthen in the January window.