Charlton striker Lyle Taylor refuses to play for Luton's relegation rivals when Championship season resumes

Luton's Championship relegation rivals Charlton Athletic have been hit with a massive blow in their bid to stay up this season, with star striker Lyle Taylor refusing to play once the campaign potentially resumes later this month.

The 30-year-old forward has scored 11 goals this season, from just 22 appearances, including a double in the Addicks' 3-1 win over the Hatters back in February.

However, with the striker out of contract in the summer, he along with Chris Solley and on-loan Birmingham midfielder David Davis are ruling themselves out of playing in the remaining nine matches, due to injury concerns.

After the Championship announced last night that the second tier could get underway again on June 20, over three months after it was suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus, then Charlton go into the final nine matches sitting third bottom in the table, four points above Luton and two from safety.

Speaking on Talksport, Addicks boss Lee Bowyer said: "Three of them have said they're not going to play.

“Lyle is one of them and that’s tough for us and for me as the manager.

“Lyle's a big player for us, a bit like (Troy) Deeney at Watford, a similar situation, when he plays well, we win games.

"Lyle has said that he’s not going to play because of risk of injury, Chris Solley said the same and we've got Davis who's on loan from Birmingham and he says he doesn't want to come back and play games.

"So we're three players down, that's another hurdle but we've got another 22, 23 players that do want to play and that's the most important thing to me now.

"I have to brush that under the carpet and move on and that's what well do as a football club, we'll move on without those players and we'll fight to the end."

When asked for his thoughts on Taylor's decision not to play, Bowyer added: "I don’t think I’m asking too much because he’s a Charlton player, he’s done great for us for two years.

"In my eyes, you finish what you’ve started.

"Everyone has their own decision to make, I can't force them.

"What disappoints me the most and I've spoken to Lyle about it, he’s in a difficult position, is that he wants to play but he’s so worried about being injured that he’s saying that 'I wouldn’t be the same player for you,' and it's difficult, as he's so big for us.

"He’s going to get a life-changing move I was saying this a few months ago when this first happened, I thought this could be a problem.

"As I know how well Lyle has done for us and if it wasn't for Lyle we wouldn't even be in this division.

"He was outstanding last season, he had a great start this season, he's chosen now not to come back and play to the end."