Rob Edwards was delighted to have Tom Lockyer back in match action after his Wembley nightmare, but admitted the defender’s fitness is a few weeks behind some of his Hatters team-mates after he underwent heart surgery.
The Welshman managed 60 minutes in last night’s 1-1 pre-season draw with Ipswich Town, which was 59 days after he collapsed during the Championship play-off final and was rushed to hospital.
Lockyer spent five days in the Cavendish Clinic in London and underwent heart surgery to correct an issue that made part of his heart beat four times faster, contributing to his collapse.
Speaking about the captain’s return to action, Edwards said: “It was really important. Him doing what he does best and playing out there. He’s a huge figure for us, so it was really good to have him back out there in the middle of our back three.
“He’ll need more game time. He’s probably a few weeks behind some of the lads because his off-season was a little different to a lot of the boys.
“It’s important that we build him up in a safe way. If you push him too hard, he can get muscle injuries and things like that.
“We’ve got to try to stick to the plan. It’s the same thing with (Tahith) Chongy, for different reasons, but we want to try to build him up as well. There’s a plan for every individual player, but it was great to have Locks out there tonight.”
A Carlton Morris spot-kick ensured a draw with Ipswich in a match held at Colchester United’s stadium, due to work taking place at Kenilworth Road to prepare it for the Premier League.
The Tractor Boys won promotion to the Championship last season and began their pre-season campaign earlier, due to the second-tier season starting earlier that the top flight’s.
Speaking to the club’s website, Edwards said: “I’ve got to stress, there’s lots to work on, lots to do. Not to sound negative, but that’s a very different look team to what I anticipate in a few weeks’ time.
“The group will remain similar but there are going to be some changes. We’ve got some work to do on the grass, we’ve got to be a little bit better in our decision-making.
“In the first half, in terms of how we went about it, out of possession, we could’ve been better. That’s down to me. So, bits to work on, but lots of positives.”
Town travel to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday for their next friendly, with the manager saying Amari’i Bell, Marvelous Nakamba and Issa Kaboré may feature after being omitted from the squad to face Ipswich.
The Hatters will also be assessing the fitness of Gabriel Osho, Reece Burke and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, who he said have picked up knocks.
