Who’s fit and who’s not for Luton’s derby day Watford clash

Dan Potts and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu will not be fit to face Watford on derby day, but Luton Boss Rob Edwards has said the latter will play again this season despite fears of a long lay-off. 

The midfielder has been out of action since getting injured in the 1-0 win at Sheffield United almost three weeks ago. 

Mpanzu’s distraught reaction, his emergence from he dressing room on crutches and his manager’s disappointment after the match all pointed to a serious injury, but the prognosis has improved dramatically. 

The midfielder missed the play-off run-in last season and the start of this campaign, but under Edwards, he had been at his sparkling best and, with eight games left of the season, the Town chief expects him to return. 

“He’ll definitely play again this season, I don’t want to put a timescale on it now, but he’ll definitely play again,” said the manager. 

“He’s progressing well, he’s doing well, so things are looking more positive with him, and looking forward to getting him back at some stage, he has such a positive outlook on life, so you can hear him round the training ground before you see him and he’s been really important this week.

“(It’s a) big relief for everyone when we thought it wasn’t as serious as first feared, him more than anybody as it was happening to him, we were worried at the time, so it was positive news for everyone that we will get him back at some stage.”

Potts hasn’t featured since late January after the centre half had established himself as a regular starter and stand-in skipper for Sonny Bradley, who has now returned to the fold. 

But the former West Ham youth won’t be fit to face arch-rivals Watford at Kenilworth Road on Saturday lunchtime. 

“Pottsy is still struggling a little bit,” said Edwards, adding: “He’s very, very close but we just want to make sure it’s right as with his particular injury.

“We don’t want to make it worse and he’s just at the stage now where fully sprinting is tough, so he’s nearly back but not quite.”

Midfielder Luke Freeman is now back in training, having not played since before Christmas, but he too will not be ready to face Watford. 

Edwards said: “He’s doing really well. He’s been out on the grass now for a couple of weeks throughout the international break and been training well as well, so that’s really positive.

“(It’s) just getting the balance right between training and match minutes is going to be the key. He’s someone that is an experienced player, so if we can get the training right, he can be available soon, that’s in theory, we would want to try and get him some minutes as well, potentially in a 21s game before being ready for us. But he is doing very well.

“If we can get everyone back, it gives us a lot of strength in depth and some difficult decisions, but some really good decisions. But what’s good at this stage of the season is when we’re going for something, we’re aiming for something, the lads are all on board with it, they all want to play, of course, they do, but they realise they can’t all play, there’s a lot of competition, but that makes for good training sessions, that makes for a real good energy and vibe around the place as well.

“So to get Freezer (Freeman) back would a real bonus for us because, I’m pretty sure throughout the next six weeks or so, there’s going to be some changes and be some people needed.

“And, if you look back at last season, we were starting to struggle for one or two bodies towards the end, we feel like we’re in a better position health-wise this time round.

“Of course, we want to keep it that way and there’s still games to play, but we feel we’re in a decent place.”