Neil Harris expects his injured players to return for pre-season better than ever.

Millwall finished the season with only 18 fit senior players, meaning that academy graduates George Alexander and Billy Mitchell were handed debuts in the final game of the season.

New signings Murray Wallace and Tom Bradshaw both tore anterior cruciate ligaments, while Ben Thompson’s return to the team after a successful stint at Portsmouth was marked by a severe hamstring injury.

Despite their time off, Harris revealed that he expects them all to return on the first day of pre-season rejuvenated.

“I am 95 to 99% sure that they’re all going to be on the start line on the first day of pre-season when the players are back in on June 25th.” Harris explained.

“To have those three lads [back is huge], because they are not good players who we know have got ability, they are characters as well.

“What they are is three of my best trainers on the training pitch. They drive standards, they drive discipline, desire and effort to train to be better.

“They carry the group, so to have them back out there is really key.

“It is a tough place to come and play your football, Millwall. A really demanding place and the position we found ourselves in second half of the season for someone like Ryan Leonard and Murray Wallace at times, it was tough for them to try and play their best football.”

Tom Bradshaw’s injury was a huge blow to the Lions as the striker only managed to feature 10 times before being ruled out for the season but Harris believes that were some benefits to his injury.

“Tom will be a better player for having, watching me coach, to being in the team meetings, seeing how Lee Gregory played last year in a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 to learn information and style of play.

“He has also seen the combinations of other players, he knows now how Jed Wallace likes to play, how Shane Ferguson, Aiden O’Brien – It is really, really key.

“I am convinced that they will all be better players.”