No signs of fatigue for Nakamba as Luton midfielder looks to start a fifth successive game

Luton boss Matt Bloomfield is confident there won’t be any issues with midfielder Marvelous Nakamba starting his third game in a week when Town take on Millwall at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

After a lengthy battle to get fit from a serious knee injury which curtailed his Premier League campaign, Nakamba found it hard to get regular and consistent game time under previous boss Rob Edwards, often left on the bench, making just nine league and cup starts before the turn of the year, never beginning more than two fixtures in succession either.

However, after being in the team that lost 2-1 to QPR in Edwards’ last match in charge, the Zimbabwean international has now started Luton’s last three matches, a run that makes it four in a row, with 90 minutes against Nottingham Forest, Preston North End and Oxford United. There’s every chance that will continue today too, as Bloomfield said: “I hope so, he’s not presented anything different. He’s played very well in the two games so far. We gave him a second day of recovery on Thursday just to try and make sure he recovers as much as he can and he feels good so I’m sure he’ll be fine.

The former Aston Villa, Club Brugges and Vitesse Arnhem player was given the nod in the holding role just in front of the back four in both of Bloomfield’s games in charge so far, as discussing his efforts from the goalless draw last weekend, the new manager continued: “I thought he was excellent. I watched a lot of footage before we came to the football club and in the first couple of days of training, I really liked what I saw.

“As we were building the gameplan around Preston for Saturday, it really felt like he was the right person to play that pivot role. He’s a really intelligent footballer, he’s obviously played at a really high level and I think he can pass. He’s not a really extravagant passer but he’s a very neat and tidy footballer who can play through lines. He can receive, likes to play in areas around him and combine. I thought he was excellent and I really hope he can continue that form.”

With Bloomfield only making two changes to his side from the weekend to Tuesday night’s defeat at Oxford, he is looking to try and have a settled XI as soon as possible, something that has been lacking this term due to a host of unavailabilities, adding: “There’s been good competition for places and I think it’s important we get to know the true intricacies of each player, the little nuances of each players as quickly as possible. which relationships are going to be really strong.

"There’s been a change in formation and different personnel due to injuries throughout the season, so trying to get something settled is important, especially in your back-line. Goalkeepers, defenders, pivot in front, trying to get that as settled as possible is really important, but also you need to have that competition. If someone isn’t performing, or someone is performing better, they deserve to take the shirt and have an opportunity.”