Luton boss Rob Edwards is hopeful that three of the four injuries suffered in Saturday’s derby win over Watford will be available to face Sunderland at Kenilworth Road tomorrow night – but is keeping tight-lipped on who has been ruled out.
The manager’s mood was tempered at the weekend after seeing Tom Holmes, Reece Burke, Tahith Chong and Tom Krauß all removed, though the German’s was more because of a illness in the build-up.
But with Teden Mengi, Amari’i Bell, Mads Andersen and Reuell Walters already out injured, the withdrawals of Burke and Holmes meant that, against Watford, Edwards was forced to play right back Daiki Hashioka and wing back Alfie Doughty as makeshift centre halves alongside Mark McGuinness, who himself was sent home injured from Republic of Ireland duty and didn’t train in the build-up.
Ahead of the visit of Championship leaders Sunderland, Edwards cut a more relieved figure, but was wasn’t giving anything away about who he’ll have available.
“I’ve got to keep the cards close to my chest,” he said, adding: “There’s one that’s out, and then there’s three that we’re hopeful on, which is obviously not too bad news.
“We’re not we’re not likely to get anyone else that’s been out of it back by tomorrow, maybe hopeful for Saturday.
“We’re definitely going to have to make at least one adjustment, maybe more, but we’re going to give people as much time as possible.
“We’re hoping we’ve got some defensive options. But like I said after the game the other day, whoever has to go in, they’ve set themselves a standard and, again, no excuses.
“I know after the game I talked about it’s tough. It’s challenging. But whatever we can go with, go and give it everything.”
He added: “It’s a bit more positive than what I was feeling straight after the (Watford) game. We still don’t know on everyone yet. I don’t like feeling like that, but we’re hopeful.”
In the immediate aftermath of derby day on Saturday, Edwards admitted that managing significant injuries since February, last season in the Premier League, has been “incredibly challenging”.
Reflecting on that, he said: “I don’t think it was just because of having to take some players off and injuries. It’s that game in particular, especially for me, is quite draining. And it’s like there’s a lot of work that goes into it. And, we know what it means.
“The relief, I think, after the final whistle, yeah, sorry, that was my overwhelming feeling. I think rather than happiness or pride, it was it was a little bit more relief, I think.”
And despite a new raft of injury concerns in the last month, Edwards said: “The good thing and the difference between last season – touchwood and all of that sort of stuff, crossed fingers – they’ve not been long ones.
“Last year we had some long term ones that were around February time. Then it was just, ‘wow, these players are going to be out for the rest of the season’.
“Thankfully, it’s not been that. There’s obviously been a few for weeks, but not months. So we’re hopeful that over the coming weeks, now that we’re back to somewhere near full strength.
“I think there’s always going to be one or two, which is just the nature of it. Everyone will have that, so it’s slightly different to last year, where there are a lot of them are long term and it was just, ‘OK, unfortunately they’re just a write-off now until next season or pre-season.
“It’s slightly different, but while the games are going on, no less challenging or frustrating to those long term.”
Shandon Baptiste was missing from the squad that walloped Watford, and Edwards said of the midfielder: “He was out there training today, but not quite with the group. He’s very close, hit some good speed today and he’s hopeful for the weekend for Shan.”
