Edwards not too concerned after sickness bug kept Town defender out of Bochum matches

Town boss Rob Edwards wasn’t overly concerned about the absence of defender Mads Andersen from Luton’s double header against Bundesliga side Vfl Bochum on Saturday due to a sickness bug.

The 25-year-old summer signing from Barnsley, who had got 90 minutes during the 0-0 draw at Wolves on Wednesday, was named on the bench for the second fixture of the double-header out in Germany, but didn’t get on during the Hatters’ 3-1 victory, Luke Berry scoring twice.

Edwards confirmed later it was down to illness, with young defensive duo Aidan Francis-Clarke and Josh Odell-Bature stepping up for the visitors instead.

With Luton already missing Reece Burke and Gabe Osho for Saturday’s Premier League opener at Brighton, after the pair picked up injuries in training, while Dan Potts also went off in the second match at the weekend, then giving an update on Andersen, Edwards said: “He’s fine, he was just ill in the night unfortunately, a sickness bug.

“He really wanted to give it a go, bless him, he was here and was going to be involved in the first game, then we said ‘let's see how you are, see if you can get you into the second one.’

"But he looked washed out and I didn’t want to risk him, as he could have done himself more damage if I'd had risked him for an injury.

"He's played a lot of minutes, so it’s not the worst thing in the world that he had to sit out, but he’ll be right in a couple of days I’m sure.”