Who's fit and who isn't...
Considering the Town had almost had a whole XI unavailable for selection, John Still was pretty chuffed with last Saturday’s 1-0 win at Cambridge.A week on, and ahead of the Town’s meeting with Oxford, and the Hatters’ injury issues are still of slight concern to the Town boss.
Jonathan Smith is likely to return against the U’s but whole host of players remain either sidelined or rated 50/50 – “and nothing more” according to the manager.
“I’ll know a bit more on Friday,” Still said at his Thursday press call at the Town’s training ground. “Sometimes when you go out and you exert yourself in training, you can be a bit stiff, or the injury can be a bit sore, not restrictive but sore.
“We’ve found Paul Benson training for a couple of games this week so we’ll see how he is on Friday, and that could be another one back.
“I don’t think Luke Rooney be okay. I’m saying no, but he’s trained on Thursday without being 100 per cent on it.
“But 24 hours can make a massive difference, so we’ll have a look at him. Is he a definite yes? No he’s not. Is he a definite no? No he’s not. He’s somewhere in the middle, so we’ll have a look.
“Jake Howells has done quite a bit of today without doing everything. He’s still sore on his foot, but he’s managed to do some.”
Alex Lacey, who deputised at right-back against Cambridge in the absence of Paul Connolly and following Curtley Williams’ first-half withdrawal, picked up a slight injury this week but Still hopes to have the defender available.
Options are fast becoming limited. But what can you do with a right-side obliterated by injuries?
“It’s really important wherever you can not to risk people,” said Still.
“We had to do it with Curtley Williams, we didn’t really have a choice and in the end he had to come off at Cambridge.
“Fraser Franks, who isn’t fit, can do a job there, but not ideally, while Alex Lacey has had a little bit of a knock, but has trained as well and went there (right back) and did well.
“So if that was the case again, it wouldn’t give us too much trouble and we’ll evaluate the situation with Curt and Paul Connolly next week.
“If Curt wasn’t available on Saturday, I’m pretty sure he’ll be able to play next week and maybe Paul Connolly as well, so that situation will look a lot healthier.”