Hatters duo faces weeks out injured as Luton are without seven first teamers for Stoke clash

Luton boss Rob Edwards has confirmed that Town’s injury problems are mounting up once more with duo Amari’i Bell and Shandon Baptiste both facing a number of weeks out due to hamstring and calf problems.

Jamaican international Bell has missed nine games this campaign, including a run of seven between September and November, but was back in the starting line-up against Leeds United recently, as it was hoped he was finally over the hamstring injuries that had been plaguing him. However, he was forced off in the closing stages of Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Swansea City at Kenilworth Road with another issue, and is now expected to be absent until the new year.

Speaking to the press this afternoon, Edwards said: “We’ve just had the results of the scan now, it’s going to be a few weeks, hopefully just under three weeks, so we’ll see. It’s a low grade hamstring, it’s in a slightly different place, but it’s the same hamstring that he had the surgery on last season.”

Since arriving in Bedfordshire in the summer of 2021, Bell has made 135 appearances for the Hatters, as he was a virtual ever-present in his first two seasons, playing 85 of the 92 league matches. Last season he was restricted to 21 outings due to two spells out when injuring his hamstring, as he didn’t feature following the 3-2 loss to Aston Villa in early March, something that has carried on into this year, missing eight games already.

On why he’s starting to find it harder to steer clear of these repetitive injuries, Edwards continued: “I think he’s played a lot of games, he’s not had a break for a number of years. He’s not getting any younger, Amari’i, and then he’s had the surgery and it’s difficult to be the exact same Amari’i Bell, the exact same person he was before that, so we just have to manage that at the moment.

We want to get him back, get him fit, get him going. It’s been hard for him to try and find some rhythm at the moment. We’ve not been able to get the best out of him, and then now it’s stop-start, so a difficult situation. Hopefully we can get him back, get him going and keep him back.”

Baptiste meanwhile had started seven games since arriving on a free transfer following his departure from Brentford in the summer, with four outings off the bench too. Having begun three of the last four league fixtures, he then came off during the 4-2 loss against Norwich City last weekend, and didn’t feature in the 1-1 draw with Swansea City on Saturday.

Giving an update on how long the ex-Oxford midfielder will be missing for, Edwards said: “It's hard to put a time on it, it’s going to be a number of weeks that one as well, it’s really frustrating. After the game he reported a bit of tightness, but didn't think it was too serious. Then training on the Tuesday after the Norwich game, tightness, but not too much of a problem. We scanned it and there’s a bigger issue there than we thought, so he'll be a number of weeks, Shandon.”

This latest injury is yet another setback in a career that has seen Baptiste make just 41 league starts since his debut in August 2018, and only 105 appearances in total. It is a record that has led to some fans questioning his addition during the summer, but Edwards said: “He’s had injury issues, but when he’s had injuries, he’s had quite big ones and surgeries, not like this calf that he’s got now.

"So it’s a new one and really frustrating. We knew we were getting a really good footballer, someone who hasn't played consistently, but we knew what we were signing with Shandon. We love him as a lad and as a person. We've got to try, along with him, to find a way to get him on the pitch more regularly.”

Just when it had looked like Town were starting to be in a position of strength recently and Edwards having a virtually full squad available, they now face being without a host of first teamers when Stoke City head to Kenilworth Road tomorrow evening, with Bell, Baptiste, Reece Burke, Teden Mengi, Alfie Doughty, Reuell Walters and Liam Walsh all missing.

Striker Elijah Adebayo is available despite appearing to hobble off at the weekend, with Edwards continuing: “He took a knock on his knee but he’s fine. It’s really difficult, I know we weren't great the other night, I don’t want to make excuses, but it does make it challenging when there's a number of first team players missing as it’ll still be the same, we won’t be able to bring anyone else in unfortunately,”

One bright point for Edwards is that centre half Mads Andersen will be available after the defender made only his second league appearance of the season when replacing Bell at the weekend for the final nine minutes. Although the Danish defender looked incredibly rusty in what was just his 13th game in a Hatters shirt since signing last summer, he could well play a crucial role in the coming weeks, the Town chief adding: “It was good to see him back out there and he’s been training now for a few weeks.

"Mads gives us another option, it’s quite difficult to come on in that, in a storm, difficult conditions, it’s hard sometimes as a centre back coming on in that kind of game, but it was good for him to get the minutes. He’s another one, as in that Tottenham game he did his hamstring quite badly last year and it’s been hard for him to get some fit and stay fit as well. So that’s his challenge along with all of the staff to make sure we keep that right.”