Geordie defender Shaun Hutchinson is ready to challenge the Bluebirds in tonight’s Championship clash at the New Den in London.
Manager Neil Harris, a former Cardiff City player, has labelled the Welsh club physical opponents, while Warnock has said: ”We’ll have to be ready when we play down at their place, won’t we, because we’ll have to match their physicality to start with.”
Hutchinson says: “If that’s how he wants to come at the game, then bring it.
“That’s what we pride ourselves on. There aren’t many teams who get stuck in as much as we do. To be fair they’re a same sort of version, they don’t like tika-taka football. They like to get it forward quickly and are physical in the tackle.
“It will probably be a feisty affair and one you have to roll your sleeves up and be ready for.”
Cardiff are fourth in the Championship table and can go third with a win at the Lions of Millwall.
“They’re up there and fair play to them, they’ve had a great season and will be looking to continue that,” said Hutchinson.
“We’ve beaten some big teams at The Den and we’ll be looking to win against Cardiff. We’ve also signed some cracking players in January.
“We’re looking good.”
Harris has underlined that the Millwall v Cardiff clash won’t be for the “faint-hearted” or the “football purist” as two of the sides with the division’s lowest passing statistics go head-to-head.
“Cardiff are not shrinking violets and any Neil Warnock team I’ve played against or managed against have always been on the front foot,” said Harris.
“It won’t be for the faint-hearted. We’re very low down in the passing stats in the division and Cardiff are below us. But it will be a good advert for Championship football.
“It will be two big sides being aggressive and going toe-to-toe. We want to be on the front foot, we won’t adjust our game for anybody. We will have to raise our levels against Cardiff because they are by far the biggest team in the division and they are not afraid to use their size and power.”
Millwall haven’t lost at home in eight game since November, while they have lost just three of their last 20 against Cardiff.
The sides drew 0-0 in October, and Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock is looking forward to the live TV clash.
“I think Neil has done a fabulous job at Millwall from day one,” Warnock told Cardiff’s official website. “He’s matured as he’s gone on.
“These are my kind of places to go. I like going to places like Millwall because this is what it’s all about. Both teams are very similar in the way they play, and how they ask their players to play.
“Everybody has to roll their sleeves up because both sides will be giving everything, and that’s how it should be.”
