Bree rated doubtful for Town's trip to Watford

Defender James Bree has been rated as 'doubtful' for the Hatters' first trip to Watford since April 2006 this weekend after suffering a knee injury.

The 22-year-old right back went in for a block tackle with new Derby signing Kamil Jozwiak during Luton's 2-1 win over the Rams on Saturday, both requiring treatment afterwards, with the knock keeping him out of Tuesday night's Carabao Cup reverse against Manchester United.

Bree is now unlikely to feature at Vicarage Road, as manager Nathan Jones said: "He has tweaked his knee a little bit, so we have to be careful with him.

"The tackle the other day, even though he stayed on he was in a lot of pain.

"That’s proving a little bit painful at the minute, so we have to see but he’s doubtful for the weekend."

In midweek, Bree's place went to young defender Peter Kioso, the former Hartlepool and Dunstable Town full back putting in a marvellous shift on his full Town debut.

With both him and Martin Cranie up to speed, Jones has cover, as he continued: "That’s what we want.

"Cranie has started both league games, we won both games so defensively we are in a decent position and that is good to have.

"We need that competition and Peter showed he can handle it because he stepped up a level now.

"Knowing we can rely on him is good and that’s why we have these games and that is why we test these players."

It is likely that both Sonny Bradley and Rhys Norrington-Davies, the only two players not to miss a single minute of league or cup action this term, will be rolled out once more for their sixth game in just 22 days.

Jones knows it is a big ask for the pair, but said: "Because Dan Potts’ injury and James Bree joining us late and so on, we have had to (do that).

"Normally we see James Bree as being a number one, Peter as back-up, then Cranie would have taken the load off Sonny at centre-half.

"Pottsy would have taken the load off of Rhys but that hasn’t been the case because of injuries but they are in good form.

"Rhys is a young lad, 21, he's played five 90 minutes now so he’s in good shape physically.

"It's not the end of the world, he will need a rest come the international break and he’s going to get that."

Apart from Bree and Potts, the rest of the squad is in fine shape, with Jones having further selection headaches after an excellent display from his much-changed side against the Red Devils on Tuesday night.

He added: “It's no different to what I have every week, it’s a good squad, with honesty, with intensity and with quality.

"It’s nothing different to what I’ve had since day one.

“There's a few tired legs from the other night, but everyone’s raring to go, everyone’s competing, we’re in a good place."