Edwards expects 'little bits of change' to Luton squad in transfer window

Luton boss Rob Edwards believes there could well be what he termed as some ‘little bits of change’ to his Hatters squad during the January transfer window.

Since the Hatters were allowed to do business once more 11 days ago, the only action at Kenilworth Road has been a number of players returning from loan deals, with only one of them moving out again, Joe Taylor heading to League One side Lincoln City for the rest of the campaign. Edwards currently has a squad of 25 to his name, which is the maximum allowed in the top flight, although that includes defender Tom Lockyer, who is recovering from a cardiac arrest suffered at AFC Bournemouth in December, as the Welsh international awaits news from specialists on just whether he will be allowed to return to playing again.

Midfielder Marvelous Nakamba is also out for a significant period of time with a knee injury too, while with players like Cauley Woodrow, Luke Berry and Dan Potts having limited game time, Woodrow and Potts due to injuries of their own, then on whether he will look to move anyone out before bolstering his squad, Edwards said: “There’s a number of different ways to do it I suppose, but I’m not saying it’s going to be players in either. If it’s one, if we stay as we are, I’ll genuinely be happy as well, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see one or two little bits of change.

"I think it’s important to stress that I don’t want too much. I do want to come out of the window strong and I know we will do, but keeping a lot of what we’ve got is really important to me. I've experienced it before when we got promoted at Blackpool, maybe a little bit of change in the January window can change things a bit and that’s always stayed with me that.”

With long-serving midfielder Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu also having a spell on the bench in recent weeks as Edwards presses on with a duo of Ross Barkley and the fit-again Arsenal loanee Sambi Lokonga, the Town chief was eager to reiterate just what a role those players who have been with the club on their remarkable journey through the leagues still have.

He continued: “You can see how important Pelly is around the training ground whether he’s on the pitch or off it, but we’ve got a real tight group that are all playing their part. Whether they start the games, whether they come on, whether they’re on the bench or in the squad, the training, the day-to-day harmony in the group, that’s important to me. You need a squad for that. My job is to not necessarily keep everyone happy as you can’t, I don’t think any manager can. Up and down the country there are players that might be unsettled, my job is to keep players motivated and focussed, and I think we’ve got that at the moment.”

Despite not wanting to break up his playing personnel in the next few weeks, Edwards did once more state that he will look to strengthen if the right addition becomes available, adding: “I don’t feel under pressure too much, we’ve lost Locks and Marvelous for an indefinite period, Issa (Kabore) will be away (at AFCON) for we won’t know how long, but other than that we’re in pretty good shape.

"We have maintained if we can strengthen, if we can bring someone in who helps us and makes us better then of course we’ll look at that and our recruitment team are really good and are on it. We’re always looking, but that being said they’ve got to be the right person. They’ve got to fit into what we do and fit into the group and make us better, and that’s difficult in January, especially when there’s a real premium.

"You’re a Premier League club and there’s a premium on players that you’re going to buy in January, so I understand that and I think our supporters and everyone understands that as well as they’ve been used to how we operate for a long, long time now and it’s going pretty well so far.”