Tom Krauß is itching to make his Luton Town debut, with manager Rob Edwards saying the German won’t need time to adapt to English football if he makes his bow against Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow.
Signed on a season-long loan from Bundesliga side Mainz, the midfielder arrived last month with a slight ankle injury, but has been back in full training with the Hatters and is poised to give the boss a “good headache”, after Marvelous Nakamba also made his first start since December in last week’s first win of the season at Millwall.
That Championship game in the captial saw Edwards without Shandon Baptiste, and that is set to continue with the summer signing suffering with a minor thigh issue. The former Brentford midfielder has been back in training, as has attacked Jacob Brown, but the visit of Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow will be too soon for both. But Reuell Walters returns to contention after an illness kept him out of last week’s trip to south London.
Edwards said: “The timing of Marv coming back, Tom Krauß has trained for the last couple of days, he should be fit to be available in the squad, so we’re OK in that areas, so there’s not too much change.”
He added he has: “Good headaches. We’re getting back to it. But there’s always something, there’s always a spanner in the works at some stage, but it’s good to have some strength in depth.”
Krauß will hope to make his debut at Kenilworth Road tomorrow and, if he does, Edwards thinks the 23-year-old will make an instant impact.
“I don’t think it will take time, looking at him in training now,” said the manager, adding: “He’s imposing, great intensity. That’s how he plays. I think he’ll be up to speed pretty quickly
“He’s great at pressing, counter-pressing and plays with real intensity. He wants to run and run really hard, and he came through Leipzig that’s that’s a prerequisite, but he’s really brave and wants to get on the ball.
“So the way we want to try and play now, in terms of having a bit more control and having the ball, he’s brave to do that, but will run, tackle, break the game up as well. So, I see him as a really good midfield player that can do a bit of everything.”
Asked if he is itching to go, Edwards said in his pre-match press conference: “Oh, yeah. Yeah, he has been for weeks now. He’s been happier this week now he’s been back out on the grass.
“We’re excited to see him as well. And judging by what he’s done in training so far, I think he’ll have a real impact for us.”
