Huge boost as Luton striker Adebayo closes in on return by netting for U21s against United

Luton boss Jack Wilshere believes that striker Elijah Adebayo will have his confidence severely boosted by scoring on his return to playing when finding the net for the Hatters’ U21s this week.

The 28-year-old, who hasn’t featured for the first team since suffering a serious knee injury when Town were a Championship side back in April 2025 against Leeds United, took another step on his journey to a senior outing when getting 45 minutes against Cambridge United at the U’s Clare College training ground on Tuesday afternoon, on target in the first half with what turned out to be the only goal of the game.

With Town’s strikers struggling for goals so far this term, Jerry Yates on seven as the top scorer, but now on loan with Sheffield Wednesday, Lasse Nordas sent out to Eredivisie side Heerenveen and Jacob Brown with Portsmouth, while Nahki Wells’ effort against Burton Albion at the weekend was his fifth from 30 appearances.

Forward pair Devante Cole and Ali Al-Hamadi are both yet to find the net, as Town’s leading marksman are Jordan Clark and Gideon Kodua, who now have an impressive 10 each. It means that the return of Adebayo, who has scored 47 times in 182 matches since moving to Kenilworth Road from Walsall in February 2021, is being eagerly anticipated by his manager, who said: “He’s getting closer, he is getting closer and you can literally see it every single day in training.

"The next step for him is that he plays games, as Tuesday was his first 45 minutes and he scored a goal which would be good for his confidence. He trained yesterday again with the group and you can see how much he benefited from that already. Again I’ve got a decision to make about when that is we bring him back into the squad, we maybe give him 15 minutes, while still trying to find him games somewhere as he needs to play.

"The next step is 60 minutes and then it’s a 90 minutes and he will benefit from that. So it will be a big boost to him, a big boost to me and the players, but also for the fans as I know how much they appreciate and love what he’s done for this club. He’s still really hungry to try and help the club so he’s not far away.”