Elijah Adebayo has offered Luton Town a boost after hinting that his long-awaited return to playing after knee surgery is ahead of schedule, saying it “won’t be as long as you think”.
The striker, who suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury in April, has stepped up his rehabilitation in recent weeks and has now returned to outdoor work at The Brache, the club’s training HQ.
While the club have never put a date on his comeback, medical timelines for similar injuries suggested nine to 12 months out, meaning his season had looked in doubt. Adebayo’s latest comments, though, appear to give Hatters supporters real hope.
In a video on LTFC+, he said his recovery had reached “the exciting part” as he has now resumed straight line running and light ball work.
“It’s been going pretty well. [I’m] starting to ramp things up a little bit. Starting to really get to the fun part, being outside again with the boys. Obviously, not necessarily in training just yet, but being around it and going out similar times. It’s good for the mental [side of things] and I think also it’s good for them to see me back out there as well.
“I’ve done everything I possibly could to get to the point I am now where I’m kicking on and slowly getting there ahead of where I’m supposed to be which, again, comes with a little bit of caution. But yeah, it’s been great.”
Adebayo spoke at length about the moment his knee gave way during the Leeds match in spring, describing how the injury initially felt surreal.
“It almost felt like it wasn’t happening to me. When it happened, I said to Chris [Phillips – head physio] ‘can you give me five minutes?’ I guess the adrenaline was just there and I didn’t really feel [pain]. The initial pain I went through was excruciating and then I just thought I could run it off, but looking back that probably wouldn’t have been the wisest decision.”
He explained that the non-contact nature of the injury caused concern, saying: “No one touched me, that was a little bit worrying.”
Yet he hobbled off the pitch unaided, adding: “I still managed to walk across the pitch at the end of the game. That was the positive thinking that I thought maybe it wouldn’t be too bad.”
Now, with his knee responding well, Adebayo is being guided by medical staff to increase his workload.
“There’s still a long way to go,” he said, adding: “But I feel like I’ve had good news throughout the process, whether it’s from Chris or the surgeon, that, essentially, I am taking the right steps.”
Adebayo’s encouraging update comes at a time when Luton are short on strikers. Loan forward Ali Al-Hamadi has confirmed he is out for “a few months” with a quad injury picked up on international duty, while Nahki Wells limped out of Saturday’s 5-0 defeat at Barnsley and was later seen leaving Oakwell in a protective boot. Jerry Yates scored the winner against Huddersfield on Tuesday, but options remain thin.
So supporters have naturally begun to ask when they will see Adebayo again and he said: “I won’t give too much away, but it won’t be too long. There are still some hurdles for me to get over and a few boxes to tick, but it won’t be as long as you think.”
For now, Adebayo’s return to the grass provides welcome good news. And judging by his upbeat verdict, Luton might not have to wait as long as first feared to see their number 11 back in short sleeves and gloves.
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