Jones confirms Cornick missed Lions defeat due to groin injury

Town boss Nathan Jones confirmed attacker Harry Cornick wasn’t called on for last night’s 2-0 defeat to Millwall due to a groin problem.

The attacker had started all five of Luton’s previous five matches in the Championship but was named on the bench at the New Den.

He didn’t make it on to the pitch, despite Hatters clearly crying out for an injection of his pace upfront in the second period, as when asked why that was, Jones said “Harry wasn't fit tonight, in terms of a groin injury.

“He felt it yesterday so he didn't train yesterday, we tested him in the warm up so you've got to name him (on the bench), it didn't quite go right, and we had to pull him out.

“It probably left us short attacking-wise in terms of centre forwards as we didn’t really have that penetration.”

Striker Danny Hylton was called upon to lead the line once more, after doing the same against Stoke City on Saturday with top scorer James Collins missing due to his positive coronavirus test.

Although the experienced forward never looked like bagging a first goal in the Championship, he was bereft of service once more, as Luton didn’t score for a second game running.

Jones continued: "Danny put a big shift in on the weekend and put a big shift in again today with no reward because of the quality going into him, so it's been tough but these games are not going to relent.

“We can’t go out and buy a 20-25 goal a season player, our top scorer is out, he’s had a positive Covid test, so we miss that.

“We’ve just gone through a spell where we’re struggling a bit in the last few games.

"We scored two against Wycombe, had a good win and could’ve scored more.

“We should’ve scored against Stoke, I thought we controlled large parts of the game but we could’ve showed more quality.

“We’re not a big side that can go out and spend a lot of money. We have a real, strict, tight budget that doesn’t allow us to go out and do that.

“Pretty much 75 per cent of my squad was the squad that got promoted out of League Two.

"We’re doing well for where we are but what we have to do is keep working and make sure we find solutions.”

Jones did admit though that the lack of goals and options up front might see deadline day signing Sam Nombe from MK Dons, who was being put through his paces ahead of kick-off, thrust into action at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

He added: “We might need to put him in a bit earlier than we thought as necessity calls.”