Injuries starting to ease as Luton head to Preston

The black clouds of Luton’s injury problems are beginning to lift with the news that three key players could return this week. 

Town travel to Preston North End today with defenders Reece Burke and Mads Andersen available for the first time this term. 

And though the Championship game will be too soon for the long-awaited return of midfielder Marvelous Nakamba, the Zimbabwean could be part of the squad that travels to QPR on Tuesday in the Carabao Cup. 

New signings Liam Walsh and Mark McGuinness are available for the trip to Deepdale, though Tom Krauß, who joined on a season-long loan from German club Mainz, is recovering from a small injury picked up while with the Bundesliga side. 

“They’re (McGuinness and Walsh) fit and available for selection, it’s really good,” Edwards told the BBC.

“Burkey and Mads will travel which is great news for us as well and then if they don’t get game time tomorrow, we’ll be looking to introduce them on Tuesday (against QPR in the Carabao Cup). This will be the first week for a long, long time, months and months and months, that I’ll be leaving people out and again, that’s not a nice thing, but I’d rather be doing that then what we have been having to do since early March time.

“We are certainly looking stronger now which is really good. That doesn’t guarantee results, we’ve got to work extremely hard and make sure we earn them, but we’re certainly in a better position to go and do what we want to try and do. A lot of lads have been missing for a while and it’s been frustrating for them as well as us and the supporters and everybody. So to have people coming back now, this time, with the full season ahead for us, it’s a big, big plus for us.”

He added: “We’ll try to introduce Marv on Tuesday as well. This weekend is too soon for him, but we’ll look to get him minutes on Tuesday as well. We’re starting to shape up quite nicely. I did say it (would happen), but anyway.”

For the trip to Preston, the Hatters will also be without first-choice keeper Thomas Kaminski as he serves a ban for his red card at Portsmouth last week. 

And though Tim Krul has returned to training after his own injury issues, it will be too soon for him, with James Shea set to get his first start since May 2023. 

That will leave just Jacob Brown and Daiki Hashioka left on the long-term injury list, with the former nearing a return.