Sonny Bradley is back training, but will take some time to return to action with Manager Nathan Jones unsure if his captain is suffering from Long Covid.
The skipper missed today’s 5-0 drubbing at home to Birmingham City, with the first two goals coming from headers, meaning that up until the Blues’ second goal, four of the five times Town had conceded in the league this season, it had been from headers.
The Hatters have been operating with a makeshift defence since the start of the season, with Reece Burke still out with a thigh strain and Tom Lockyer only just returning having suffered from Covid and an injury, while midfielder Henri Lansbury also had the disease and missed today with a foot injury picked up yesterday.
Asked about how soon it will be before his other recognised centre backs are fit for action, Jones said: “Bradley’s had Covid and had it really badly, so it’s been very difficult for him. Reece Burke is training but he’s coming back from a thigh strain, but you can’t put him straight back into a Championship game because you could set him back again.
“Dan Potts as well, his hamstring, so we’ve had a few. We’ve got a lot out.
“Henri we lost again today with a foot injury and they’re coming thick and fast but we’re looking forward to the international break to get everyone back and then we’ll regroup and go again.”
Bradley hasn’t featured at all since the pre-season friendly against Porstmouth, with Jones previously saying the centre back has been hit hard by the disease.
“He’s had a Covid for a long time,” the manager said, adding: “Whether it’s Long Covid, I don’t know. But he’s had it and its depleted him really, took away a lot of his energy and he’s struggled.
“But he’s back training now, but it’s just about building him up, because it’s been pretty much a month out.
“That’s been disappointing because we’ve had people out, coming back and recovering from it.
“So we’re having to demand quite a lot from certain ones and that’s causing problems.
“I don’t think it’s every going to go away, you just have to manage it. I don’t think anyone forgets about Covid. It’s still there because we get tested for if anyone has symptoms. So you never forget about it but what you have to do is live with it.”
Asked if his players have been vaccinated yet against coronavirus, Jones said: “I don’t know how many of them are first jabbed, though not many are double jabbed.”
