No moaning from Jones as Luton start hectic schedule

Town boss Nathan Jones won’t be moaning about Luton’s punishing climax to the 2019-20 Championship campaign as they begin a run of eight games in 26 days at Swansea City tomorrow.

The Hatters head to Wales for the first of two long away trips in the space of a week where they will rack up the miles, as after their lunch-time kick-off at the Liberty Stadium, they also travel to Leeds United on Tuesday night.

With season postponed for three months due to the coronavirus pandemic, then a swift conclusion to proceedings was needed, to give clubs the best chance of planning what whatever surroundings they find themselves in next term.

Although Jones knows it's not ideal, especially with only just over three weeks to prepare his squad, he won't be using that and the amount of matches in such a short space of time as an excuse, saying: "Since Covid arrived on our shores you could scrutinise every decision that everyone’s made and find a for and against answers.

"Realistically, football had to start, to find a formula to play the games, because that kept the integrity of the games.

"They had to make sure they kind of gave it enough time that there could be a truer performance, giving people time to prepare whilst staying safe, with everything the country’s going through.

"So, in an ideal world, we’d have started earlier and had a little more time to prepare, but this isn’t an ideal world in any stretch of the imagination.

"It is what it is, we have to get on with it.

"Ideally, you’d like a little more time because in three-and-a-half weeks, if you’d adhered to social distancing, you can’t prepare for a mini season in three-and-a-half weeks.

"Neither can you be your best for all nine games and fresh if you’re going to be competitive in those games.

"So, it’s very, very difficult and we’ll be prepared as anyone else, and it’s the same for every so there’s no griping or moaning.”

With hotels still not open until next Saturday, then that will also throw a spanner in the club’s pre-match preparations, as they usually have an overnight stay ahead of games away from Kenilworth Road.

Jones was giving nothing away when asked how that might affect them tomorrow, saying: "We’re doing the best possible preparation that we can.

"We’ll keep that in-house, but it’s a big journey into Wales, God’s country, so we’ll give us the best possible preparation to win the game.

"We agreed to play at 12.30pm because we feel that it might give us an edge, in terms of an extra few hours on Saturday night, preparing for the game at Leeds.

"We’ll get there early, make sure we’re rested up and ready for the game.”

With the country experience the hottest day of the year on Wednesday, Jones didn't think that it would be an issue when going back to his home country.

He added: "We’ve only trained once in the heat so far because yesterday (Wednesday) was a rest day for us.

"Let’s be honest, we’re going to Wales, it won’t be a heatwave there, I promise you.

"We’ve prepared in exactly the same way and I can’t remember the last time I went and played a game in the glorious sunshine in God’s country, so hopefully we won’t have to contend with that.”