Izzy Brown will be out for 10 weeks with a hamstring injury, Luton boss Graeme Jones has confirmed today.
The Chelsea loan ace pulled up in the second half of Saturday’s 7-0 Championship hammering at Brentford and afterwards the manager said he’d torn a hamstring.
Today the worst fears were confirmed with the news that Brown won’t be available until at least February, with discussions still ongoing as to whether he stays with Luton or returns to Stamford Bridge, though he’ll be at the Wigan game on Saturday.
“Izzy’s out for 10 weeks,” Jones said, adding: “It’s the definition of management, I’m thinking of where we are at the moment that we’ve got to find a way.
“We’ve got to find a way of finding a different formula, so that’s where the work has been, as well as dealing with everything else this week.”
Last month Brown hobbled off during a 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest and Jones said afterwards: “Izzy’s our most creative player and he has to play if we’re going to stay in the league. He has to play, it’s as simple as that.”
Asked about that comment, now that the forward will be out of action for almost a third of the campaign, the manager said: “He is vitally important but I’ve been around the game long enough to know that the biggest quality you need in football is to adaptable.
“We found a way of winning game with him. He was out of the side for Forest and Reading, really, and we weren’t the same. Now, we’re in a moment where we’ve got to find a way with the players we’ve got.
“We’ll have to play in a different style. Remember, I inherited a diamond system here that had been hugely successful here and I’ve been a big fan of that.
“I’m massively respectful of that so, within that shape, we’ve managed to find a formula that is was, certainly going forward, happy with.”
Asked how Brown was feeling, having established himself in the side and announcing a week earlier that he felt as if his long injury worries were behind him,” Jones added: “He really committed to Luton Town Football Club. I think he felt important, he felt part of it. I think he was enjoying football.
“He said that, ‘when things are going well, these type of things tend to happen to him’. So, it was an initial real disappointment in our situation, but particularly his own.
“So, I think it has just been a difficult week for everybody concerned.
“What you have to do as a player is keep it in here (stomach) and use it on the football pitch with actions, rather than talking about it.
“Izzy will be there on Saturday and I’m sure he’ll be behind the boys.”
However, it remains unclear as to whether Brown will embark on his recovery and rehabilitation at Luton, or if Chelsea will want him back early from his season-long loan spell.
“We’re in the middle of that, really. It has not been 100 per cent clear yet, so there’ll be a scan and we’ll make a decision from there.”
Time to show what sort of manger mr jones is now his favourite player is out. Must win game against wigan, maybe time to have faith in some of the players who got us promoted.