Hatters boss reveals Doughty will be back in Luton's squad at Oxford

Luton boss Matt Bloomfield has revealed that Alfie Doughty will be back in the Hatters squad for the first time since early November when Town travel to Oxford United tomorrow evening.

The 25-year-old, who signed a new long-term contract with the club back in September, has missed the last 14 games in all competitions due to ankle ligament damage suffered when going up against his former club Cardiff on November 3. Although he was close to being available during Bloomfield’s first game in charge on Saturday, a goalless draw against Preston North End, he wasn’t involved, but should be in the match-day 18 that travels to the Kassam Stadium, as the manager said: “Alfie Doughty’s back, he’ll be included in the squad tomorrow evening which is great.

"He didn’t quite make the weekend, but it was the right thing to have him ready for Tuesday. We’re looking forward to working with Alfie, he’s someone that everyone around the football club thinks really highly of. I know he’s a very, very good player, he’s missed a little while with his injury, but he’s back on the grass. He looks quite sharp so we’re looking to build him up as safely and securely as we possibly can, but it’s great to have him back.”

Having missed just over two months of first team football, then it’s unlikely that Doughty will be used from the opening whistle against the in-form U’s though as Bloomfield continued: “He’s not ready to start, I don’t think he is. He’s had a little bit of time out and whilst we’re looking forward to having him back, we’ve got to be responsible with him and build him up, but he’s someone who we’ll be looking to get on the pitch as soon as we can.”

With Bloomfield beginning with 4-3-3 formation on Saturday that saw Amari’i Bell as left back and Jacob Brown starting in the wide left position, on which one would be Doughty’s best role in that particular system going forward, the former Charlton youngster having the highest number of chances created before his injury, Bloomfield added: “I think he can probably do either. I know he’s played most of his football as a wingback, and I think depending on the options around him will dictate whether we use him as a full back or as a wide player.

"I definitely think he can have an imprint further up the pitch as a wide player, absolutely, I think he could play in either of those roles and I think as time moves on he will probably settle in in one or the other. But there’s good competition for places in both and Amari’i’s a really good player for this football club as well. So we’ve got good competition on that left hand side, but if we can get Alfie on the pitch tomorrow night it will be good.”