Luton chief determined to avoid temptation and not rush Al-Hamadi back
Forward is back in training at the Brache
Luton boss Jack Wilshere is determined to avoid the temptation of rushing striker Al Al-Hamadi back to first team action despite the forward desperate to be involved again after stepping up training once more this week.
The 23-year-old has had a torrid time of it at Kenilworth Road since arriving on loan from Ipswich Town in the summer, as he arrived with a pre-existing calf injury which kept him out of action for almost two months, also seeing previous manager Matt Bloomfield, who had originally signed him, sacked before he could make a first team appearance.
When finally named in the match-day squad by new head coach Wilshere for the FA Cup first round tie against Forest Green Rovers, Al-Hamadi came on for the final half an hour, involved in the build-up for the winner as Town went through 4-3, before another brief cameo followed in the 3-0 triumph at Stockport County in League One.
However, the forward was then further hindered by yet another injury, this time a quad issue that was picked up when away on international duty with Iraq on November 13, which means he hasn’t featured for the Hatters since. Ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Plymouth Argyle, Al-Hamadi was pictured on his own official X page being put through his paces at the Brache this week and asked how tough it has been resisting the temptation to put him back in ahead of schedule, Wilshere said: “He’s trained more this week.
"He’s stepped it up, maybe he’s been in every session we’ve done, so he’s one that we have to be patient with. Of course me, the fans, we’re all the same, we want to see him, we want to see him on the pitch and he’s obviously been through this process before, coming back, getting closer. I’ve spoken to him about being calm about it, because I felt last time he was putting a lot of pressure on himself to come back, get in the team and show everyone.
"He obviously had a huge disappointment when he got injured and it was frustrating for everyone, but let’s not rush this last little bit, that’s my message to him. I think the medical team has done a top job at that this time, dripping him into training and picking the moments when he can step out and focus on his rehab a little bit more but let’s see. I haven’t asked that question to them yet, he’s hopefully not too far away, but we’ll be patient as well.”
Having seen the forward, who has scored 38 goals in 118 senior outings for Wycombe, Bromley, AFC Wimbledon, Ipswich and Stoke, which included a spell in the Premier League with his parent club, up close and personal in training, Wilshere knows Al-Hamadi can bring something to Town’s front-line that has been lacking this term, the Hatters’ forwards only scoring three goals from open play so far.
He added: “We have to get that right and he gives you something different to all the nines we’ve got really. He’s aggressive, more aggressive, he wants to run behind a little bit more and actually I think he can see the benefit in taking the time as well. As you can literally see every single day he looks a little bit sharper, he feels a little bit better, his touch is a little bit cleaner, so let’s just wait a little bit for him.”