Luton chief confirms on-loan Chelsea midfielder Izzy Brown is out for 10 weeks

Hatters boss Graeme Jones has confirmed that on-loan Chelsea midfielder Izzy Brown will be out of action for 10 weeks after suffering a hamstring injury during the 7-0 defeat at Brentford last Saturday.
Izzy Brown receives treatment against BrentfordIzzy Brown receives treatment against Brentford
Izzy Brown receives treatment against Brentford

The 22-year-old went down early in the second half when sprinting upfield at Griffin Park, with the Hatters already trailing by five, and was forced to limp off.

Giving an update at his press conference this afternoon, Jones said: “It’s all grey news here, Izzy’s out for 10 weeks, so it’s a definition of management, of where we are at the minute.

“We’ve got to find a way of finding a different formula, so that’s where the work’s been as well as dealing with everything else this week.

“But I’d rather be positive because you’ve got two choices, I can either look at it half empty, or half full.”

Brown, who has played for England youth sides from U16s to U20s has been hit by a succession of injuries in recent seasons, suffering ligament, hamstring and knee problems while at Brighton on Leeds.

If back by mid-February, then Brown will miss a minimum of 12 Championship games for the Hatters and on how he had reacted to the latest setback, Jones continued: “He really committed to Luton Town Football Club, I think he felt important, I think he felt part of us, I think he was enjoying his football.

“He said that when things are going well these type of things seem to happen to him, so there was an initial real disappointment in our situation, but particularly his own.

“So I think it’s just been a difficult week for everyone concerned.

"But what you have to do is keep it in here (stomach) and use it on the football pitch, with actions, rather than talking about it.

“Izzy will be there Saturday and I’m sure he’ll be behind the boys.”

Brown had picked up a slight hamstring injury recently during the Nottingham Forest game, coming off in the first half, which led to Jones stating: “Izzy’s our most creative player and he has to play if we’re going to stay in the league. He has to play, it’s as simple as that."

When asked how Town would now cope in his lengthy absence, Jones said: “He is vitally important, but I’ve been about the game long enough to know that the biggest quality you need in football is to be adaptable.

"We found a way of winning games with him, he was out of the side for Forest really and Reading, and we weren’t the same.

"Now we’re in a moment where we’ve got to find a way with the players we’ve got.

“We’ll have to play in a different style, remember I inherited a diamond system here that had been hugely successful, I’m a big fan of that and massively respectful of that.

“So within that shape, we managed to find a formula that I was certainly, going forward, happy with.”

When asked whether Brown will now stay at Kenilworth Road as he receives treatment, Jones added: “We’re in the middle of that really, it’s not been 100 per cent clear yet.

“We’ve still got to look at his scan and make a decision from there.”