Luton defender Martin Cranie will miss this weekend’s Championship visit of former team Huddersfield but is expected to recover during the international break.
The full back played 64 times for the Terriers between July 2015 and January 2018, before departing for Middlesbrough, but he’s been out for the last two games after being stretchered off with ligament damage during the 1-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.
After that game, boss Graeme Jones was hopeful that the 32-year-old’s injury wasn’t as serious as first feared and it appears he was right.
Martin should be OK for the second week of the international break,” said the manager, adding: “He is a quick healer. The pain has gone a little bit now. We are hoping to get him out running next week so it has been positive. We are happy.
“Martin is one of those players that you need around. He can play in five positions and you need that flexibility and you miss it when it’s not there on the pitch and off it. Hopefully that will be straightforward, his recovery.”
Jones also confirmed that left back Dan Potts trained with the team today after a groin strain kept him out of the last three games, saying: “He’s absolutely fine.”
And midfielder Glen Rea, who has been out since December with a serious knee injury, also took part in training today.
Jones said: “The contact stuff’s back and then it’s just that he needs a training period, then he needs a game period. I’ve discussed one or two things with Glen, he’ll look at that when we get a bit further down the line, but he looks a great pro and a really useful player. He’ll certainly be someone that we’d welcome back with open arms.
“He’s very specific, Glen, he’s a defensive midfield player, which we’ve got Martin Cranie, but Martin can play other positions.
“Glen’s specific to that role, and if you play against the likes of Millwall and Cardiff, those players can be really, really useful, so it would be good to have him back in the squad, but we need a fully fit Glen Rea, a match-fit Glen Rea and there’s a process that we need to get him to before he’ll be in that position.”
