Preview: Newport County vs Millwall - prediction, team news, lineups

In the first round of the EFL Cup, Newport County will welcome Championship opponents Millwall to Rodney Parade on Tuesday.

The League Two hosts beat Crawley Town 2-1 on Saturday in the second matchweek of their league season, while the visitors also won 2-1 when they faced Norwich City on August 9 in their opening fixture of their Championship campaign.

Match preview

Newport County were eliminated at this stage of the competition in 2024-25, losing 4-1 against Leyton Orient in August 2024.

Head coach David Hughes has only been in charge since May, overseeing two draws and one victory in his three matches in charge so far this term, though his side did win a penalty shootout against Barnet in late July in a preliminary round of the EFL Cup.

After the Exiles finished third last and narrowly avoided demotion from League Two in 2024-25, Hughes's primary task will be to stabilise the club's position in the fourth tier and push for promotion to the third tier, a division they have not been in since 1961-62.

Newport have scored five goals this season in all competitions, though they have also failed to keep a clean sheet, conceding four times.

The hosts are yet to play a home fixture in 2025-26, but they were poor in the closing stages of 2024-25 at Rodney Parade, losing three and being held to three stalemates in their final six outings at their ground.

Meanwhile, Millwall were also eliminated by Leyton Orient in last season's edition of the EFL Cup having lost 1-0 in the second round in August 2024.

The visitors have been knocked out in the first round of the competition in two of the past three campaigns, and they have not made it past the third round since 1994–95, when they reached the quarter-finals.

In the Lion's only meeting with Newport, they emerged as 3-0 winners in the FA Cup in 2020, a game that current centre-back Jake Cooper and midfielder Billy Mitchell played in.

Boss Alex Neil has only overseen one match this term - victory against Norwich - but his side did also triumph in their last four pre-season friendlies, scoring 14 times.

Millwall's win against Norwich was only their second in their past six competitive away outings, with the team suffering four defeats and conceding 11 goals.

Newport County EFL Cup form:

Newport County form (all competitions):

Millwall form (all competitions):

Team News

Newport head into Tuesday's game without any confirmed injury absentees, though given striker Gerard Garner was taken off last time out, Hughes will take no risks and is likely to bring Bobby Kamwa into the XI.

Anchor Matthew Smith may be the only player to retain his place in midfield, with Ben Lloyd and Keenan Patten candidates to play alongside him.

As for Millwall, goalkeeper Max Crocombe could come into the team behind centre-backs Cooper and Japhet Tanganga.

If Neil uses a double pivot as he did against Norwich, expect Casper De Norre and Massimo Luongo to feature.

In the forward line, wide players Femi Azeez and Camiel Neghli may flank forward Macaulay Langstaff.

Newport County possible starting lineup:

Tzanev; Shephard, Jenkins, Baker, Davies; Lloyd, Smith, Patten; Thomas, Kamwa, Reindorf

Millwall possible starting lineup:

Crocombe; Crama, Tanganga, Cooper, Sturge; De Norre, Luongo; Neghli, Coburn, Azeez; Langstaff