EXCLUSIVE NEWS: Millwall manager issues important injury update

The club’s record signing, 19-year-old Serbian attacker Ivanovic, was initially predicted to miss eight weeks because of the injury. Questions concerning the young player’s availability arose after he was called up to the Serbian national team for their most recent international matches.

Harris explained the situation in a recent interview, saying that while Ivanovic is not available for Millwall, his involvement in the Serbian team was an important milestone in the young player’s development.

“Hopefully, this week will bring some additional clarity,” Harris told NewsAtDen.”We were thrilled when Mihalio left with Serbia the previous week. It is quite significant. We were thrilled because the head coach of his national team, who is only 19 years old, was calling up a young player, so we knew he was going. It was crucial to have the opportunity to leave, meet the coach, and spend time in the setup.

Ivanovic did not play in any of Serbia’s games, but his presence in the camp enabled the Serbian Football Association to assess his health on an individual basis. Before Serbia’s opening match against Spain, the teenage forward left the camp and went back to Millwall for additional evaluations.

Harris elaborated on this plan, saying, “The Serbian FA wanted to see the player, meet him, and spend time with him in addition to conducting their own checks. That was fine with us. They decided to back us in allowing Mihalio to return after wanting to observe him on the pitch for a few days to gauge his condition.

Ivanovic is back at Millwall and will have more evaluations done there to find out the exact nature of his injury and when he will be able to play again.”He’s going to see the specialist this week, so we’ll all know exactly where he is and when he’s going to be available—whether that’s going to be more mid-term or short-term,” Harris continued.“I’ll be able to update everyone as soon as we have that information.”

In order to make sure that Ivanovic’s health is handled with the greater good in mind, the Millwall manager also gave supporters comfort by saying that the team is closely collaborating with national football bodies.”We collaborate closely with FAs, and everyone acknowledges that we’re keeping an eye on the big picture,” Harris said in closing.

Ivanovic’s injury will surely be a blow for Millwall, who finished the season with a victory over Sheffield Wednesday that gave them much-needed confidence following a difficult start to the campaign.

Mihalio Ivanovic is who?

Due to his strong forward play, Mihalio Ivanovic advanced swiftly through the youth divisions of Serbian club FK Partizan, where he started his professional career. Ivanovic, who made his senior debut at the age of 17, became well-known throughout Europe for his muscular presence and eye for goal.

His breakout campaign was in 2022, when he established himself as Partizan’s regular starter and notched a number of significant goals in both domestic league games and European competitions. Several European clubs were interested in his achievements, but Millwall was the team that finally signed him as their record transfer on deadline day in 2024.

Ivanovic has had a successful international career as well. Even though he was too young to play in games at his first call-up, he has already gained caps for Serbia at various youth levels and received his first call-up to the senior national team in 2024.

Author’s Perspective

Concerns concerning Millwall’s stability at the moment are undoubtedly raised by the circumstances surrounding Mihalio Ivanovic’s injury. Neil Harris is anxious to put up a composed and well-organised face, but it raises questions when a record signing is suddenly shelved. Supporters have concerns over the club’s choice to let Ivanovic join the Serbian team in spite of his injury. Although encouraging, Harris’s remarks tend to minimise what might be a more complex problem than it first seems.

It is imperative that Millwall sets a more precise comeback date for Ivanovic given the precarious state of his health and the financial and psychological stake in his future. The most recent injury update makes it difficult to believe that a quick fix will be found, and supporters may start to doubt whether the team can achieve its goals this early in the season given the amount of uncertainty.

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