Portsmouth handed boost ahead of Millwall as Alex Neil concedes defeat over duo's fitness - including 'really gifted' January signing

Fellow forward Femi Azeez has also been ruled out of the much-anticipated game, with the Blues heading to the capital determined to take another significant step towards Championship safety.

The news comes after Neil had to travel to Sunderland’s Stadium of Light last time out without another one of his main attacking threats - Raees Bangura-Williams (ankle), who has impressed during his breakthrough season with the club and also looks set to be absent at the weekend.

Millwall lost that game on Wearside 1-0 - a defeat that saw them drop two places in the league table to 13th and allowed the Blues to move to within six points of them following their victory against Blackburn Rovers.

That gap could be three come 5pm on Saturday, as Pompey look to book their place in next season’s Championship as soon as possible and take the edge of their remaining seven games of the season.

The Blues are yet to beat Millwall this term, having failed to muster a win in the two other games they’ve contested with the Londoners during the 2024-25 campaign - in the Carabao Cup and in the league, which both ended in 1-0 defeats at Fratton Park.

The latest news coming out of The Den will provide encouragement, though, with Saturday’s hosts also without George Honeyman, Danny McNamara, Callum Scanlon (all injured) and suspended keeper Liam Roberts.

Confirming Neghli (ankle) and Azeez’s (hamstring) absence, Neil told southwarknews.co.uk: ‘He (Neghli) is at least two weeks away. Him and Femi will be lucky if they make the last three or four games.

‘When those two lads have been fit, predominantly they’ve played wide left, wide right. When you’re missing maybe two out of your front three players, that’s always tough.

‘But what it does do is it gives the little lads an opportunity and a chance to come in. Aidomo (Emakhu) has done well in some of the games previously, Aaron Connolly’s done well in some of the games previously.

‘I think just unfortunately both of them seem more comfortable off the left than they do off the right. With Ra’ees missing the last game as well, it limited our options in terms of that right side. Although Aaron did it, he’d much rather play off the left if he could.’

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Why Camiel Neghli will be a miss for Millwall v Pompey

Neghli has been forced to sit out Millwall’s past five games after picking up an ankle injury in the Lions’ FA Cup defeat to Crystal Palace on March 1. The game was just his fifth for the club after The Den outfit splashed out in the region of 3-4m euros and broke their previous £2.8m transfer fee to land the Algerian under-23 international from Sparta Rotterdam.

The winger had yet to contribute a goal or an assist before being taken off in the 33rd minute at Selhurst Park. But speaking in February, Neil had no doubt about the quality he’d bring to his side.

He told the BBC: ‘We did spend significant funds on Camiel. I feel he is a technically really gifted player. I think the physicality of the Championship is going to take him some time to get up to, but what you could see was those flashes of moments where he lands on the ball. Technically, he's super equipped and tactically he's very good as well because he's come from Dutch football. Camiel will be a really good player for this club, I've no doubts about that.’

Azeez - the brother of former Pompey loanee Miguel - has missed the past two games. The 23-year-old has contributed one goal and five assists for Millwall following his move from Reading last summer. He also missed the Lions’ 1-0 win over Pompey in January because of injury.

Defeat that night for the Blues saw John Mousinho’s side remain 21st in the table and two points from Championship safety. They head to Bermondsey on Saturday sitting 17th in the table and seven points above the drop zone.

However, Pompey will travel without to Millwall without the injured Conor Shaughnessy, Rob Atkinson, Hayden Matthews, Ibane Bowatt, Jacob Farrell, Callum Lang, Paddy Lane and Kusini Yengi.

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