Hatters were aware of McAtee's shoulder injury before agreeing to sign Grimsby striker

Luton boss Nathan Jones admitted the Hatters knew full well of the shoulder injury that new signing John McAtee was nursing before agreeing to make the forward their eighth addition of the summer recently.

The 23-year-old was snapped up recently following a 16-goal campaign that saw him help propel the Mariners back into the Football League via the National League play-offs.

However, he suffered a dislocated shoulder in the latter stages of the season, an injury that flared up once more during Grimsby’s opening League Two match against Leyton Orient and having seen a specialist since, it was confirmed that McAtee requires surgery which will keep him out for months.

Despite this, Town still went ahead with the signing, agreeing to loan him straight back to Blundell Park, as Jones said: “We knew that prior, so it’s whether we pull out of the deal or go ‘okay, we won’t see him anyway until earliest Christmas, because we sent him back out on loan.’

“So it was about getting it right so he can perform the best he can and then hopefully come back and impact on us.

“Part of the deal for McAtee was that he went back.

“We will continue to monitor him here and then in games for Grimsby.

“There’s a player in there that can affect games for Luton.”