Assistant Manager Chris Cohen believes that form ‘goes out the window’ against a Huddersfield Town side under new management.
- Chris Cohen previews Tuesday's match against Huddersfield
- Injury update on Reece Burke, Sonny Bradley and Cauley Woodrow
- Watch the full press conference on iFollow Hatters
The Terriers have struggled for form in the Sky Bet Championship this season with one win in their last seven matches, and following defeat in his first game on Saturday, Mark Fotheringham and his side are on the look out for a positive result Tuesday night.
With the Hatters winless against Huddersfield in four outings last season, Cohen said it is a ‘natural emotion’ for wanting to get back to winning ways against them this term.
“I think it’s the fact it is a huge game for us and the supporters. The other part is we felt over the course of the two play-off games we were fair game to go through to the final and have a shot of getting to Wembley. It didn’t happen, Huddersfield won the second leg and deserved their opportunity. I think it is a natural emotion to try and beat them after the disappointment of last year.”
Whilst the availability of Reece Burke and Cauley Woodrow is up in the air with the club awaiting scans to reveal the extent of their injuries, midfielder Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu made his first-team return against Hull City – his first matchday involvement since defeat against Huddersfield in April.
“He’s a huge influence on the squad,” Cohen said during his pre-match press conference. “He obviously knows the club through and through, been here such a long time and he’s a real positive influence on the pitch and off the pitch, and although you can still be that when you’re injured, it’s much more difficult.
“We’ve seen the work that Pelly has put in over the course of the last four or five months and everyone was delighted to see him come on and have a real good impact against Hull. He secured the centre of the pitch for us and everyone, I’m sure all the Luton fans as well, delighted to see him back on the pitch.
“He’s honestly one of the best characters I’ve seen in a football club over the course of my professional career, which is coming up to 20 years, in terms of the positive influence he has one everyone around him. He’s always upbeat, I’m sure at times he would have struggled because I had a lot of injuries myself, it can be a tough place in terms of it can be quite lonesome away from the group, but you never would have recognised it.
“He was still helping the younger players, helping the players that have played for a long time, all the staff love him here, all the players love him here, all the supporters love him here, he’s as popular as he deserves to be as he has a positive influence on the club every single day.”
It could be a landmark occasion for Dan Potts, who if selected to start will make his 200th Luton appearance after joining the club back in 2015.
“Pottsy has been so consistent, the thing that has stopped him from playing more over the last couple of years has been the injuries that he’s had. From speaking to him a lot, it’s his favourite position to play, so left of a back three would be where he would say his best position is, and he’s been wonderfully consistent this year in terms of performances he’s put in.
“He’s a threat in their box, he’s wonderful in our box, defending set-pieces, he’s an excellent defender and the in possession stuff he’s been really good at this year as well, so he should be really confident going into every game which I’m sure he is as its probably been a while since he’s had a run of games like he’s having at the moment.
“Players need rhythm and unfortunately through no fault of his own, probably hasn’t been able to get there in the period of time I’ve been here in terms of the run of games and now he is and we’re the lucky ones who are benefitting from that.”