Femi Azeez to miss Millwall’s Norwich City clash after injury setback

Millwall forward Femi Azeez will miss Saturday’s Championship meeting with Norwich City after head coach Alex Neil confirmed the fixture has come too soon for the Nigeria international.

Millwall host Norwich at The Den in their first home league match of the season, hoping to follow up their impressive 2-0 victory away to Bristol City in the opening fixture.

Azeez suffered a knock during the first half against Bristol City. Although the injury was initially considered minor, it left his availability for the Norwich game in doubt.

Neil had previously said the problem was not serious and expressed hope that the 25-year-old would recover in time to play. However, speaking at his pre-match press conference, the Millwall manager confirmed that Azeez would not be ready for Saturday’s match.

The absence of Azeez is a blow for Millwall after they began the campaign strongly. Josh Coburn scored both goals in the win over Bristol City, securing three points for Neil’s side and providing an encouraging start following their disappointment last season.

Millwall narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League last term after losing to Hull City in the Championship play-off semi-finals. Their victory at Bristol City offered an early indication that they could again challenge near the top of the division.

Neil praised his players for their display in the opening game and said he was looking forward to another demanding test against Norwich.

Azeez’s recovery will also be monitored closely by Nigeria, with the Super Eagles due to begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign next month. Nigeria will want as many of their important players available as possible as they seek to avoid a slow start in the qualifiers.

The Millwall forward made his Super Eagles debut at the 2026 Unity Cup tournament and quickly enhanced his international prospects. He scored twice in Nigeria’s semi-final against Zimbabwe and played an influential role in their final victory over Jamaica.

Those performances moved Azeez into contention for a regular place in the Nigeria squad and have also helped attract interest from Premier League clubs, including Brighton. Hull City have also been linked with the forward.

Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle will hope Azeez can return to action soon and recover the form that made him a prominent figure during the Unity Cup.

Azeez’s immediate target will be a return for Millwall’s next league fixture, when they travel to face Southampton next weekend in their third Championship game of the season.