Shinnie back in training while Cranie closes in on Luton return

Andrew Shinnie could be fit for Wednesday night's match with Millwall

Shinnie, who had started Town’s last five league matches, missed Saturday’s 2-1 win at Blackburn Rovers with a knee injury, but has a chance of being involved in midweek.

Speaking on Monday, Town boss Graeme Jones said: “Touch wood, we’ve got a clean bill of health.

“Andrew Shinnie’s trained today, Martin Cranie is out there again, so we’ve got nearly a full complement.”

On what the issue was with Shinnie, the Hatters chief had said in his post match press conference at Ewood Park: “He’s hurt the fat pad on his knee.

“Andrew’s a fantastic professional and he’d do anything to play football.

“His intentions are always for the right reasons, so we’ll see how he is when we get back to Luton.”

Meanwhile, Cranie, who hasn’t featured since being stretchered off with ligament damage in the 1-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday last month could be available if called upon by Jones.

He continued: “He’s nearly ready, he’s really, really close, so day-to-day, we'll just keep monitoring him.

“He’s a naturally fit boy and he’s had no injuries during his career, so he really looks after himself does Martin.

“He’s a good professional, obviously everyone needs game time and we’ll give him that as and when, but I think Martin’s one of them if we needed him, he could come in and do a job.”

With just Danny Hylton and Glen Rea from the first team squad definitely absent, then Jones believes Town have done well with their lack of major injury concerns so far this term.

He added: “Touch wood you work like that, you have to work safely, but the most important period for us was pre-season, to get this huge volume in the players.

“To overwork longer than 95 minutes, so when you reduce the volume and you increase the intensity, we had that foundation behind us so that’s where it comes from.

“From within that you lose Martin, you lose Callum McManaman and then you lose Brendan Galloway, there’s little setbacks, but you have to accept that during a season.

“It is a contact sport, but we’ve had good availability generally.”