Millwall FC dealt significant injury blow ahead of QPR clash | OneFootball

The striker was forced off after 34 minutes in Millwall's 1-0 defeat to Luton Town last weekend.

Millwall striker Josh Coburn is set to miss six to eight weeks with a calf injury, after the Middlesbrough loanee was forced off just 34 minutes into the Lions' 1-0 defeat to Luton Town on Saturday.

That's according to Lions boss Neil Harris, who confirmed the prognosis of Coburn's injury to the South London Press on Tuesday.

Coburn now looks set to be out of action until late-October/early-November at the earliest, in what is yet another injury setback for the promising young forward.

Despite Middlesbrough's strength in depth in their goalscoring department, Boro commissioned his loan move to The Den largely due to the importance of Coburn receiving regular playing time, after a series of injury woes halted his first team progress at the Riverside Stadium.

Josh Coburn set for spell on the sidelines in bitter blow for Millwall

Everyone connected with Millwall was crossing their fingers that Coburn's injury would not be something that would keep him out of action for an extended period of time, but unfortunately, that does appear to be the case.

Speaking with the South London Press this week, Millwall manager Harris confirmed: "Josh Coburn is going to be out for six to eight weeks.

"That’s the bad news. We’re going to see how it settles in the next 14 days. He’s a player we chased all summer. We finally get him in the building and he starts with a goal on his debut – to lose him is disappointing.

“It’s one of those things. One person’s misfortune is another one’s gain."

The 21-year-old bagged a debut Millwall goal during the club's 3-0 home win over Sheffield Wednesday, just the day after he'd seen his season-long loan move from Teesside to South East London confirmed.

Linking back up with former Middlesbrough team-mate Duncan Watmore, the two looked set to score goals together once again, but now the development of their partnership will have to be put on hold.

Coburn is a different type of forward to what Harris has at his disposal, with his size and physicality offering a battering ram-type forward that could help Millwall lay siege to opposition defences this season.

Losing any player for an extended period of time is always a tough pill to swallow, but it's made even more difficult when said player has a finite time with the club as Coburn would appear to have, unless the Lions seek a permanent deal for him in the future.

And with both Tom Bradshaw out for an indefinite period with a hamstring injury and another summer signing in the form of Mihailo Ivanovic dealing with fitness issues himself, it may now be up to Macaulay Langstaff to start games.

Langstaff bagged a remarkable 70 goals in 96 appearances for Notts County in the National League and League Two, and despite a slow start to life in London, he is a player that Millwall boss Harris is confident can make the step-up to Championship level this season.

Speaking on Langstaff's showing off the bench against Luton on Saturday, Harris said: “I thought Macaulay Langstaff played very well when he came on and was very unlucky not to open his account for the club.

“He’s a natural goalscorer, so I’m sure that goal won’t be far away. We’re hoping Mihailo Ivanovic is going to be fit soon as well. We’re hoping to have a few more options at the top end of the pitch than we have maybe got this weekend.”