Jack Wilshere has confirmed Hakeem Odoffin has returned to training but will not be ready for Luton Town’s trip to League One leaders Cardiff City tomorrow, while several other players continue to build towards full fitness.
The Luton boss reported no fresh injury concerns from last weekend’s 2-1 win over Bradford City, but admitted patience remains key with long-term absentees, while Liam Walsh remains out with a shoulder injury that kept him sidelined against the Bantams.
“No one’s back. No one’s injured,” Wilshere said, adding: “Haks [Odoffin] has joined in in training this week, which is good. Haks is the type of character who brings energy just with his presence. So to have him back around the squad was good. It’ll be too soon for him this week.”
New signing Sverre Sandal, meanwhile, is progressing but the midfielder not yet in contention to make his debut in Wales since joining Town on transfer deadline day.
“He needs a bit more time,” Wilshere explained. “He’s on the pitch still and he’s building his fitness. It’s pre-season for them [Norwegian players]. So again, [he’s] trying to find his rhythm.
“He doesn’t need to play [under] 21 games, but he’ll need that sort of introduction to the squad where he plays a little bit, he comes out, and then he has to find his place in the team and earn the right to get into the team and get into the squad.”
But Wilshere is encouraged by what he has seen from the midfielder so far in training, saying: “He’s someone who’s probably a different type of midfielder than we’ve got, someone who is really clean technically, good on the ball, but also gives you the ability to do different things with him out of possession as well. He’s adapting well.”
Ali Al-Hamadi is back involved having made three appearances off the bench in recent weeks and Wilshere believes the forward will improve with minutes.
“[I’m] really pleased to have him back,” he said. “He’s really influential in the squad. I think it will take some time before you see the best Ali, and I think he’ll admit that himself.
“We’re just trying to find opportunity to get him back to that as quickly as possible, because we know how influential he can be.”
Elijah Adebayo is edging closer too, although Wilshere is reluctant to rush him following his lengthy lay-off.
“I’ve said this from the start with Eli, we don’t want to put a date on it,” he said. “He needs to play a game with the [under] 21s, we’re still looking at that.
“He’s now been training for a while and each day he looks better. He’s trying to find his rhythm, which over the last few days is actually probably starting to come. But at the same time he’s been out for a long time, so we need to be patient with him. It’s a bad injury he had.”
He added: “When I look at the options we have as a nine, it would be nice to pick Eli as well. But we also need to be patient because we need to think about him.”
Be the first to comment