Cresswell signed a season-long loan deal with Millwall in the summer and quickly featured in nine out of eleven games for the Dens, while netting three goals.
According to a condition in the loan agreement, Millwall could incur financial penalties if the 20-year-old centre-back does not receive a certain amount of game time for Rowett’s team.
Rowett stated that he is not aware of details regarding Cresswell’s clause, but insisted that he will not pick his match-day squad based on any threat of financial penalties
The Millwall manager emphasised that he treats Jamie Shackleton and Cresswell, who are both on loan from Leeds, as he treats any other player in his squad, and he understands that any Premier League club will want their loanees to feature as much as possible.
“I’m not involved in the details and those sort of discussions. Is it a financial penalty?” Rowett told the South London Press.
“Sometimes you pay a loan fee and every time a player starts that loan fee reduces.
“There is a way of encouraging game time for young loan players.
“But from my perspective, Cressy and Shacks– any players that come from Premier League clubs on loan – they are part of what we’re doing.
“We try and treat them exactly the same as any other player that is in our group.
“I wouldn’t pick the team based on any financial penalties.
“If you’re a Premier League club loaning to a Championship club, you want your player to play at least a decent amount of minutes.
“It’s probably more a case of that.”
When the January transfer market opens, Leeds will have the option to bring Cresswell back, but there is currently no sign that the Whites are considering ending the young centre-back’s loan spell midway through the current campaign.
