Rob Edwards has issued a rallying call in the face of an injury crisis that has struck Luton so badly that even staff members are pulling hamstrings – urging his players to “fight” and let the crisis “fuel” them in their Premier League survival bid.
The Hatters were already suffering serious problems before the two-week international break, but things have got worse during that period, with Chiedozie Ogbene hurting a tendon in his hamstring while on duty for the Republic of Ireland.
That has left Luton with ten senior players out injured, including their talismanic captain Tom Lockyer, top scorer Elijah Adebayo and defensive midfield lynchpin Marvelous Nakamba, with the backline depleted the most with four centre halves missing.
For a few days during the international break, that looked to be worse when defender Teden Megni returned to the club from the England Under-21s with a sore knee. Thankfully, the former Manchester United man was able to return to make his debut for the Three Lions at that age group, playing 30 minutes in a 7-0 romp past Luxembourg.
With away trips to Champions League hopefuls Tottenham and then title-chasing Arsenal coming up next, there’s no let-up as Luton try to pull themselves away from the relegation scrap even further after a four-point deduction for Nottingham Forest saw them swap places and move out of the bottom three by a point.
Edwards said: “We’re missing everyone that we had before plus Chieo who got injured on international duty as well. It got so bad earlier in the week that (transitional coach) Kev Foley had to train with the opposition, and Kev Foley tweaked his hamstring as well so I’m losing staff as well as players now.
“I’m not going to laugh about it, I’m going to try and solve some problems. We’ve got a few at the moment and we’re just going to try and solve them. Some we can solve and some are going to be further down the line and we can’t do much about it.
“All we can try and do is deal with the next thing in front of you and that’s Tottenham away and we’ll play with the cards that we’ve got and keep trying to solve some problems and keep trying to get people back fit, which won’t be many.
“But let’s be honest if we just curl up and go, ‘the world’s against us and we’ve got to play with these teams and we’re injured,’ then we’ve got no chance.
“So, we can talk about it and this is the situation we’re in but what you want to do? I know what I want to do, I want to go and fight and try and play how we play and try and take it to them,
“And that’s what I’ve supporters would want as well and I think that’s the most important thing, to commit to how we play and what we do.
“The best teams do it. Tottenham did it at the start of the season when they had injuries. We’re not Tottenham at the moment. Liverpool had to do it, Newcastle have had to do it, and we’re going through it now a critical stage in the season.
“But if we become something else and become a different team all of a sudden and don’t show trust and faith in the group that we’re working with then I just feel that we’re going the wrong way about it. So, we’re not going to laugh about it, we’re not going to cry about it, we’re going to try and deal with it and it’s going to fuel us and hopefully in a couple of months time I’m going to look back and go ‘wow, what achievement’, and that’s our aim.”
Fans had hoped that the international break would provide an opportunity for Luton’s walking wounded to return to action, with hopes held high for Sambi Lokonga, Adebayo and Mads Andersen, particularly as they have posted encouraging photos of their rehabilitation on social media.
“All three of those are working so hard behind the scenes the staff are working hard and we’ve had a few recurrences when they’ve been trying to come back,” said Edwards.
“Sambi’s still going to be a few weeks, we think, but he’s out in the grass doing some work. Eli is not.
“Mads has been sporadic on the grass and then not again. Eli, we are really hopeful that at some stage (he’ll return) but it will be the tail end of the season, right towards the end, we think. We’re more hopeful that we might see a bit more of Sambi. Mads, we still don’t know.”
With Gabriel Osho also out with bone bruising on his knee, Edwards admitted that some players have tried to return to soon, which has led to setbacks.
Asked if Luton have investigated any treatments or medical innovations to get players back fit, alongside the state-of-the-art facilities they’ve now got at The Brache, Edwards said: “We’re constantly looking and thinking what can we try and do better and what is causing it.
“I know it’s across the board this year. There’s been a lot more (injuries) and longer term ones as well across the board in the Premier League, so I’m sure everyone’s trying to do the same sort of stuff.
“We’re always going to try to critique ourselves, (such as) loading and strength work and rehab and everything and we’re all involved in that.
“It’s a global thing, it’s not just that department or that department, or me. It’s the whole football club so we’re always trying to look.
“I just think that this year with the intensity, the longer game time and the intensity for us, from the Championship last year to this level is mad, the difference.
“For us, the weather hasn’t helped, a change in the surfaces and I think we’ve had one or two where maybe between us and the players we’ve probably pushed a little too soon to get people back.
“It’s maybe been a couple of days to soon and it’s set us back a bit so there was always bits which we’re trying to learn from and get better some of it is circumstances and some of it will be us and I’m sure that’s almost across the board, because you can go through nearly every club and say that he was missing for a long time and had an operation. There’s loads but it’s difficult to deal with.”
However, Edwards says he sees a resolve in his remaining fit players, to make the most of their opportunity to keep Luton in the Premier League.
“When I look into these players’ eyes and talk to them, I’m convinced of that (survival) and I know they believe me as well and believe in what we’re doing,” said Edwards.
“We’re up against it, there’s no doubt about that and we’re up against it with a fully fit group but we’ve got a lot of senior players important players big players missing and it is hard to be your best then.
“But what it is going to do is it’s going to fuel us. It’s going to make stronger as a group, make us fight even harder.”
And, with so many defensive injuries, Edwards says that the Hatters will have to achieve survival by attacking.
“The next few games are going to be as hard as you get in the league and in world football so let’s have a right good go.
“We’re ready for it. We’re going to give it a good go. We’re going to step forward. I was looking the other day that in the last 15 games and there’s only four teams that have scored more goals and Luton Town in the Premier League, now that’s a good chunk of the league.
“We’re at our best when we’re on the front foot and we attack and I know that can at times leave us exposed, but if we’re going to try and win games we’ve got to try and score, so we’re not going to change.
“We’re going to keep working to get better and work hard trying to get the balance of keeping the back door shut as well, which is really difficult at this level, full stop.
“Most teams are struggling to keep clean sheets in this league there’s goals for fun everywhere, but we’re going to keep attacking and trying to win games.
“I don’t care where we’re going, if we’re going Tottenham but Arsenal or (Man) City then we’re going to try and win those games and know that sounds silly but that’s what we’re going to try and do.”
