Tonight's match at Kenilworth Road kicks off at 7:45pm
The Hatters take on Yeovil Town tonight in the battle for a place in the semi-finals of the Checkatrade Trophy.
The visitors to Kenilworth Road have been in prolific form in the competition so far this season, scoring four goals per game in three of their five matches.
Glovers pair Francois Zoko and Tom Eaves have both scored three times in the Trophy this term, as the two sides compete for a home tie against League One side Oxford United in the next round.
Alongside Town defender Frankie Musonda and midfield duo Jonathan Smith and Jake Gray, Hatters striker Isaac Vassell has played in every Trophy match this season, with the striker scoring twice in this competition – once in the 4-0 win over Chesterfield, and the all-important third goal in the 3-2 win at Swindon Town.
He made it six strikes in total for the season with a fine headed finish at the weekend in the 1-1 draw at Grimsby Town, which means the former Plymouth Argyle and Truro City man has now netted three goals in his last three appearances.
Johnny Mullins could be involved in the Hatters squad as the central defender continues to serve his four-match league suspension for the red card he received in the Town’s League Two match against Wycombe Wanderers, which doesn’t apply in Checkatrade Trophy matches.
Transfer window signings Lawson D’Ath, striker Ollie Palmer and on-loan Reading goalkeeper Stuart Moore are cup-tied for tonight, but there could be a full debut for keeper Matt Macey, who arrived from Arsenal on loan on deadline day.
The Town’s other January signing, midfielder Luke Gambin, is also available having not featured for former club Barnet in the competition so far.
Hatters gaffer Nathan Jones wants his side to continue tonight in the same way they finished Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Grimsby, in which Vassell netted a 77th-minute equaliser before top scorer Danny Hylton saw his 95th-minute penalty saved by Grimsby keeper James McKeown.
Jones wrote in his programme notes for tonight’s fixture: “At Grimsby on Saturday I felt we were never in any danger without being at our best, and after scoring the equaliser, there was only ever going to be one winner.
“However, with late events it proved to be a missed opportunity to close the gap on the automatic promotion places once more, and these are opportunities that we can’t afford to keep passing up.
“We finished the game well on the front foot though, and I want us to stay that way – starting tonight in what will be another tough encounter.”
Yeovil, for whom the Hatters manager played and coached for seven years between 2005 and 2012, visited the Kenny earlier on in the season, with the match in August ending a 1-1 draw – the Town’s goal courtesy of a Stephen O’Donnell 30-yard screamer.
That made it a total of six matches played between the Hatters and the Glovers, with the Town winning twice, drawing three and Yeovil coming out on top once.
Tonight’s match will be refereed by Lancashire-based Ben Toner, who has taken charge of 26 matches so far this term, handing out 83 yellow cards and three red cards.
Hatters Player subscribers can tune in for full match commentary tonight, which will be led by Press and Communications Manager, Stuart Hammonds, as regular commentator Simon Pitts is away.
The LTFC live Wall will be running as always to ensure those who aren’t attending can stay updated on all the goings on at Kenilworth Road.
Tickets for tonight’s match are available at £5 for adults, whilst under-16s can get in for free, but need to get their tickets in advance of the fixture, as they will not be available on cash turnstiles.