Rob Edwards has warned that injury-hit Luton are unlikely to get many of their stricken stars back before the end of the Premier League season, with Amari’i Bell the latest player to be ruled out after going under the surgeon’s knife.
The Jamaica international lasted five minutes of the 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa and yesterday he has had an opeation today repair a torn hamstring, so is unlikely to play again this term.
Gabriel Osho has also been ruled out of the Bournemouth game after he departed early at the weekend along with Teden Mengi, though the former Manchester United man is available, as is Ross Barkley who broke his nose at Selhurst Park.
It means that Luton’s injury list currently reads Osho, Elijah Adebayo, Mads Andersen, Marvelous Nakamba, Tom Lockyer, Dan Potts, Jacob Brown, Joe Johnson, who is still suffering with glandular fever, and Sambi Lokonga.
Edwards said: “We’ve got more updates coming. We’re hoping with Sambi that he isn’t too far away.
“Eli’s been pushing but then still feeling things. That’s the situation we’re in.
“Amari’i Bell had his operation today, hamstring, that’s probably going to be him (for the season).”
But despite the deep injury crisis, Edwards was bullish saying: “We’re not going to let anything faze us. We’re not going to let anything derail us. There’s no point in moping about it, moaning about it. We’re working hard behind the scenes, the players are and the staff are to try and get people back.
“We’re not going to be able to get many back before the end of the season, I don’t think, so we’ve got to be able to deal with it.
“If we moan about it, feel sorry for ourselves, we all know what will happen, so we’ve got to deal with it.
“There’s going to be opportunities for other people and people will have to step up. That happened at the weekend, so we need everyone to stick together, supporters to get behind us.”
It leaves Luton with Reece Burke and Mengi as Town’s only fit and available centre halves, though January signing Daiki Hashioka has filled in well during Bell’s absence.
“Difficult times,” said Edwards of the situation, adding: “That’s got to make us all stronger. It’s got to bring us even closer and has to make us work even harder.
“If anything could, this situation has got to make us do it. There’s no other way.
“I’m not going to accept any excuses. I’m not going to accept any moaning, with people saying, ‘what about this?’, or ‘we’ve not got him fit’.
“It’s just opportunity for someone else and it’s got to make us run even harder.”
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