Hatters forward prioritises staying fit for Luton over Bermuda call-up

Luton striker Nahki Wells has ruled himself out of international duty for Bermuda as he prioritises being fit to help the Hatters with their attempts to remain in the League One promotion hunt.

The 36-year-old did head overseas with his country last month, winning caps 31 and 32 during their heavy Concacaf Nations League defeats against St Lucia and Barbados. The Gombey Warriors, who are back in action next week when taking on Guadeloupe and St Lucia, did want Wells to spearhead their attack once more, but that now won’t be happening.

The ex-Bradford and Bristol City forward was forced off in the first half against Doncaster Rovers recently, which saw him drop to the bench for Town’s 2-0 victory at Peterborough on Saturday, and then play 85 minutes on Tuesday night in a 1-1 draw at former side Huddersfield Town. With eight goals from 16 outings, and having already racked up 870 minutes on the pitch, Wells is key to the Hatters’ efforts in attempting to regain their place in the Championship, currently sitting in fourth spot.

When Luton come back from their break, they finish November with a trip to Burton Albion, plus a home match against Oxford, as December then brings trips to Blackpool, Sheffield Wednesday and AFC Wimbledon, along with welcoming Bromley and Wigan Athletic to Kenilworth Road too.

Speaking to The Royal Gazette, Wells explained his reasons for staying at home, saying: “I am not available for Nations League as I just want to prioritise time to recover and spend time with my family. It’s been a tough turnaround with games back to back, so for the health of my body, I am prioritising that.”

Recently appointed head coach John Barry Nusum had hoped to call on Wells for the upcoming fixtures, as Bermuda need two wins to have any hope of being relegated, but understood his reasons, adding: “We had a chat and Nahki is in a professional space, which means that he has to make certain decisions. Part of it is where he is with his club and the other part of it is where we are with our development and getting younger guys in, so it’s a little bit of everything involved.

“At the end of the conversation, we thought it would be best for him to stay with the club and staying tuned in on that side of it, and for us we can get some younger guys in and see players that we haven't seen before. Do we want Nahki? Absolutely. But he won't be involved and will get to be able to spend a little more time with his family. That’s one of things he hasn’t been able to do because he has to travel for playing. We had a conversation about it and he’s not going to join us for this window.”