Hatters boss Rob Edwards gave a squad fitness update on his two centre-backs who haven’t featured recently through injury, with Gabe Osho and Reece Burke both back in full training.
With four days to go before the final game of the regular league season against Hull City, with all Championship matches kicking off at 3pm on Monday, Edwards said: “We’re in good shape, there were a couple of extra bodies out training today that haven’t been out there for a couple of weeks, so real positive.
“Gabe Osho trained fully today, Reece Burke as well. We’ll see how they react again later on this afternoon and tomorrow, but that was a real positive day today.”
The manager found time to praise the medical and sports science staff in getting the two back fit, with Osho last featuring against Millwall on April 7th, and Burke being forced off in the win at Rotherham eight days later.
“Credit first of all to the lads themselves for being very professional, they’ve got to look after themselves now. To be an elite athlete, you’ve got to live it. The staff have been brilliant as well, especially in turning around those two players. It’s been a big effort from the staff and the lads themselves.”
Edwards added that Dan Potts and Fred Onyedinma came through their substitute appearances at Blackburn unscathed, and that although the Hatters won’t know their semi-final opponents until 5pm on Monday, being guaranteed third place gives some clarity for play-off planning ahead of Hull’s visit.
“I think we are all thinking about who we could have, and obviously it’s one of five teams that we know,” said the 40-year-old. “Logistically it means we don’t know exactly where we are going to be in terms of travel, so we are going to have to be able to react quite quickly on that side of things, but we know what we’ll do in terms of our recovery strategies.
“We know that we are away first and then at home, so at least there are a few things that have become clarified over the last week or so.
“A few of the teams we have played recently, we know them quite well. Our guys have been doing their homework on the five teams anyway, and I think we’ll be in a good place whoever it is after whatever time it will be on Monday, when we know.”