Japanese international starts as Luton make one change from Watford to face Sunderland

Luton boss Rob Edwards has made just one change from the side who unceremoniously thumped Watford 3-0 on Saturday, with Japanese international Daiki Hashioka making his first start of the season.

The 25-year-old replaces Reece Burke, the centre half out due a groin injury picked up early in the second half at the weekend, although the rest of the trio who had been fitness doubts, Tom Krauß, Tom Holmes and Tahith Chong, were all okay to start, as teenager Benedict Benagr came in on the bench. On the visitors, who come into the game sitting top of the table, Edwards said: “We’ve been able to see a lot of them. A good team, good players, good manager who’s getting the best out of the players at the moment.

“They’ve got really good players in one v one situations, pace on that last line as well, so lots of threats all over the place, (Romaine) Mundle and (Patrick) Roberts in particular out wide, but with real pace up top. They’ve got real good know-how, good rotations in those wide triangles, those wide areas as well, so a different type of game to Saturday, but again what we try to do is give a lot of clarity. This is about what we do, if we get our bit right we know we can be a challenge for anyone as well.”

Hatters: Thomas Kaminski, Victor Moses, Daiki Hashioka, Mark McGuinness, Tom Holmes, Alfie Doughty, Tom Krauß, Jordan Clark, Tahith Chong, Carlton Morris ©, Elijah Adebayo. Subs not used: Tim Krul, Cauley Woodrow, Marvelous Nakamba, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, Jacob Brown, Joe Taylor, Zack Nelson, Joe Johnson, Benedict Benagr.

Black Cats: Anthony Patterson, Dennis Cirkin, Dan Neil ©, Jobe Bellingham, Alan Browne, Chris Rigg, Luke O'Nien, Romaine Mundle, Wilson Isidor, Chris Mepham, Trai Hume. Subs not used: Simon Moore, Patrick Roberts. Nazariy Rusyn, Adil Aouciche, Aaron Connolly, Milan Aleksic, Leo Hjelde, Tom Watson, Zak Johnson. Referee: Tom Nield.