Graeme Jones says Luton will approach the upcoming three-game week in a ‘slightly different way’ after admitting that the Hatters have not dealt well with those demands previously.
Town face two home games with Cardiff first up on Saturday and then Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday, while an away-day at Middlesbrough the following weekend completing a tough week.
But Jones will have a virtually fully fit squad for the first time in ten weeks, with the return of centre back Sonny Bradley, who missed the 2-0 defeat at West Bromwich.
The manager said: “We’re going to need Sonny because the three-game weeks everybody knows have been really, really demanding and I think pre-transfer window, I don’t think we have dealt with them very well, that is the truth.
“We’ve learned a lot of lessons and we’re going to attempt this three-game week in a slightly different way.”
Only the long-term injured Brendan Galloway is unavailable from the squad and Jones added: “I’m delighted because we’re going into a three-game week and for the first time, we have got options to be competitive in three games.
“We just have different problems now because we have to pick 11 and pick 18, but that is what I’ve wanted all season, so it’s good to be in that position.
“We need to win football matches and accumulate points. I’ve just got more players now to do that so I’d rather be optimistic and look ahead, it was only two games ago that we won a really important game at Kenilworth Road so we’re hoping to use that energy and those dynamics and do it again.”
Striker Danny Hylton is also progressing well with Jones saying: “He looks a hungry animal, we’ve just got to try and give him as much minutes on a big pitch as we possibly can which is difficult without a reserve team, so that’s where the work is, it takes a little bit longer because of that.
“We’ve had some behind closed doors games between ourselves, big space work, and I see a lot more robust Danny Hylton now.
“I still think he needs a little bit more, remember he’s never played in the Championship.
“All of a sudden you go from no football at all to playing in the Championship, it’s a big step up, but the good thing for me is I know where Danny was in the summer, where he couldn’t sustain training.
“Danny’s been fit for maybe seven weeks now, the programme’s worked and he’s out there most days and has had no reaction.”
Saturday’s opponents Cardiff lost on penalties to Reading in an FA Cup fourth round replay on Tuesday, having drawn against the Royals in the league last Friday, but Jones is not expecting 120 minutes of football to affect the Bluebirds.
“I can’t see too many who played on Tuesday, maybe two or three, who’ll have to go again on Saturday. I don’t know is the truth,” the Hatters boss told the club’s iFollow channel.
“I think any game like that, of that magnitude, will have a mental effect. You’ve got four night’s sleep after it, but you should be able to recover.
“I think they were quite clever moving the previous fixture to a Friday night. I don’t know how that came about, maybe the two teams agreed that, so they had an extra day, in terms of Friday-Tuesday.
“Normally, if you play every four days, you’re fine.”
