Luton Town are experiencing something of a baby boom, with boss Graeme Jones admitting that sleepless nights, caring for newborns, does have an impact on players.
Defender Matty Pearson is the latest Hatter expecting, with his partner due imminently, while his centre half partner Sonny Bradley has just had his first child, as has midfielder Luke Berry and injured attacker Izzy Brown.
While Martin Cranie is out with an injury and Dan Potts is a doubt with a groin problem, Jones’ team selection for Stoke on Tuesday night could also depend on nature taking its course.
The manager said: “There was something going on nine months ago, that I’m not aware of! But it does have an impact as these boys aren’t robots.
“They’re good, honest boys and I’ve been a dad as well. I remember I was playing for Wigan Athletic, and I had a newborn and a 20-month old, so we had two babies and it does impact your life.
“You’ve got to be a little bit selfish as a professional footballer and say, ‘sorry you’re going to have to get on with it, I need sleep,’ because you need to rest and recover in order to perform.
“So it’s about getting that balance and you don’t get that balance in a month. Sonny had his little ‘un a month ago, you don’t get that balance overnight.
“Then, Matty, you’re thinking, ‘I hope Mrs Pearson hangs on until Wednesday or hangs on until next Sunday,’ you don’t want anything to happen overnight, so there’s all these things, real life that goes on in the background.”
However, Jones said that despite the impact that babies can have on players’ lives, they still have a job to do if picked, with another relegation six-pointer up next at Stoke.
“Ultimately when you step over the white line, there can be no excuse, you just have to perform,” he said, adding: “That’s the industry we’re in, and it’s a mentality, it’s one that I learned.
“It’s not about what food you’ve ate, or you haven’t ate, it’s not about him much sleep you’ve had or you haven’t had, how you trained. Sometimes it’s just about performing and that’s the job we’ve got.”
