Millwall boss Gary Rowett reflects on tough away start

Gary Rowett's side have not won in 11 away games in the Championship

Gary Rowett says enduring tough road trips now will stand Millwall in good stead later in the season.

The Lions will tick over the 2,000 mile mark in their five away games when they head to Sunderland on Saturday.

They have already visited Sheffield United, Norwich City and Burnley - three sides sat in the top five.

Rowett said: "At the moment we have got some tough games, but at some point those fixtures are going to look a lot kinder."

While the fixtures are tough, the journeys have been tougher. A fire on the M6 led to Millwall's players returning from their 2-0 defeat at Turf Moor last week at breakfast time.

Ahead of the 15:00 BST kick-off at the Stadium of Light, Rowett joked to BBC Radio London: "I'm hoping we're going to get back before at least 6am this time."

Nine of Millwall's 10 points so far have come at the Den and they have not won on the road since March, but Rowett insisted: "If we can keep picking points up at home and see if we can improve a little bit away, at some point those fixtures are going to look a lot kinder.

"It's then when we have to capitalise. At the moment we have got some tough ones.

"Sunderland is a difficult place to go but there's no reason that if we play like we did [in Saturday's 2-0 win] against Cardiff that we can't go there and win the game. We've got to show belief."