The boss thinks Cuthbert will be out for a few weeks
Town boss Nathan Jones has called on his side to go on a winning run as they enter the business end of the season.
With ten games remaining on the calendar for this term, the Hatters need to make up ground on Portsmouth if they want to break into the automatic promotion places, with Pompey seven points ahead of Jones’ side, but the Town having a game in hand.
Last Saturday’s defeat to Stevenage saw captain Scott Cuthbert hurt his hamstring, whilst Dan Potts suffered concussion in the draw at Carlisle United.
Jones said: “Cuthbert will be a few weeks, he has tweaked his hamstring. So we will probably be without him and we are just assessing Potts.
(Pictured: Scott Cuthbert had to be taken off during the match against Stevenage due to a hamstring injury)
“It was good news with Potts. It wasn’t anything serious, we are just assessing him, seeing how he is. He has been in today, so we will see how he is tomorrow and we’ll make a decision then.”
Portsmouth have still got to play the likes of Stevenage and Plymouth Argyle, whilst the Cumbrians take on Darren Sarll’s side and Exeter City in their end of season run in.
It’s those matches that Jones hopes will help his team move closer towards the top three, but a winning run for the Hatters is the key to their success.
“With everyone playing each other and putting runs together, it’s changed in a week,” the Welshman continued. “It was in our hands a week ago in terms of we could have gone into third. Two adverse results and Portsmouth picking up two good results, it’s changed. It can change, what we have to do is make sure we stay right within touch.
“We have got to make sure we do go on a winning run. I keep saying to our players, we are the only side yet who haven’t had a run of four or five together. Now would be a great time to do that, because if you do that you catapult yourself in there.
“We are in good shape in terms of physicality, we just have to turn that into results. It’s been a difficult week in terms of certain things. Two contrasting performances – I am far happier with the one on Tuesday than last Saturday, but we can’t dwell on that. Now we have got another big week to look forward to.”
The two teams who have finished third in the fourth tier for the previous two season have both had 85 points to their names, which in order for the Hatters to achieve would mean they have to pick up 27 points in their ten remaining matches.
The Hatters gaffer is aware of the size of the task that faces his team if they want to reach that spot, but he feels that his team are well equipped for the challenge.
He explained: “It is a big ask. We are right in it. We have got a game in hand that takes us close to them, so that means others around us will have to do that. Now, others around us have been on runs of seven and eight, so they’ll have to repeat that.
“What we have got to do is pick up as many points as we can. We have been in good form – one defeat in a good while – but we have to repeat that and we now have to have a run. It’s down really to the business end, we are right in the hunt, we really are.
“We have just got to make sure we are up for every game and we take every game as it comes. If we win one, then we look to win another one and go from there.
“That’s what you have got to keep doing. We have got a very good record against the top sides. Recently we lost to Stevenage and that’s the only defeat we have suffered in recent times. Portsmouth are the other ones to beat us, apart from that, no one in the top seven has beaten us.”
Hatters Player subscribers can watch Jones’ full press conference by clicking here.