Millwall v Barnsley: Players put in danger by congested fixtures claims Reds chief

The Reds, who visit Millwall tomorrow, must negotiate nine fixtures in league and cup in the first month of the campaign, which Johnson says is far from ideal.

Johnson, whose side came through on penalties after extra-time in their Capital One Cup win at Scunthorpe United last week and who also visit them in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy on September 1, said: “We have worked out that it is eight games in the first four weeks of the season, which is ridiculous really because you get young players who get injured.

“Then, you go to the back end of the season and you haven’t any games. It doesn’t seem to make sense, particularly with the League Cup going to extra time so early.

“That really should go straight to penalties with the early rounds being so early in the season.

“I start to feel that if you get through the rounds and you want to get through the rounds, that you get a fixture pile-up and you can’t get the stuff done in training that you want to because you have to just worry about the players recovering.”