Millwall boss Neil Harris says he has decisions to make on leaving players out of the squad - not just the starting XI - for the first time in three years.

The Lions manager made eight changes from his side’s 1-0 defeat at Rochdale in the FA Cup on Tuesday and handed a debut to January deadline day signing Ben Marshall, currently on loan from Wolves.

Ryan Tunnicliffe also came into the side having been on the bench against Reading last weekend, and Harris says he picks certain players to suit certain games and this particular game was more appropriate for Tunnicliffe than Shaun Williams.

Harris told News Shopper: “Williams played two 90 minutes this week already. I’ve got different players with different attributes. Tunnicliffe certainly is an athlete. He’s one of the quickest players in the squad and I knew the game was going to be a counter-attacking game.

“What I will say is I left out Fergie [Shane Ferguson], Tommo [Ben Thompson] and Harry Toffolo, three good players. I’ve left them out of the 18. It’s probably the first time in my tenure in almost three years now that I am able to make big decisions on players, not just for the starting XI, but for players in the squad.

“The players have to realise I can pick players that suit certain games for the team and for the bench.

“Cardiff have scored a lot of goals this season on the counter-attack, so I knew we would need legs in the side. I made eight changes to the starting XI tonight because I wanted freshness.”

Three of those changes from the defeat at Spotland combined for the Lions equaliser as Steve Morison found Jed Wallace, who crossed for Lee Gregory to convert for his seventh Championship goal of the season.

Junior Hoilett had given Cardiff City an early lead, but Gregory cancelled his effort out five minutes before the break and Millwall could have earned all three points but found City keeper Neil Etheridge in impressive form as he denied Ben Marshall and Wallace in the second period.

Marshall received a standing ovation when he was replaced by Fred Onyedinma with just over ten minutes to go and Harris was delighted with his debutant.

He said: “I thought Marsh [Marshall] was excellent. He showed real quality. I think 13,000 people appreciated what a good player he is, in his first 75 minutes for us.

“I took him off because he was still going full pelt and I was concerned he might gain an injury, because he has not played a lot of football. I thought he grew into the game and got better and better as the game went on.”