Stricken Dance thinks Luton’s luck with injuries has been out

Injury-plagued James Dance is at a loss to explain the terrible ‘luck’ the Hatters have endured with injury since being relegated, writes Mark Wood.
James Dance scores against HendonJames Dance scores against Hendon
James Dance scores against Hendon

The departing winger made a lightning return from a fractured cheekbone only to suffer another injury which needed a screw inserted into his navicular bone.

Dance had never been injured for any length of time before joining Luton, but the injury sidelined him for almost a year and the 26-year-old believes it is symptomatic of Town’s recent fortunes.

He said: “I remember my first couple of weeks and thinking there were quite a few injuries and then I got riddled with the same luck as well. The training facilities and the pitch is a lot higher than the normal standard of the Conference, so it can’t be put down to that.

“Maybe we’ve just not dealt with it as a squad and club when players have been injured. It’s just all part and parcel of the bad luck the club has had since it fell down to the Conference.”

“I’ve never been one to play on an injury. If I missed half a season with niggles and knocks I would look back and be disappointed in myself for not playing through it.
“I think it’s more disappointment, anger and frustration than guilt.”
Being unable to help his team-mates and boss Gary Brabin, who brought him in, was what Dance found most frustrating as the Scouser was eventually given the sack.
He added: “It wasn’t nice to see and not being able to do anything about it was hard. I think it’s worse when the team’s not doing so well.
“He was nothing but good to me. Having to come into training wearing a cast and on crutches and not being able to repay that faith was not something I wanted to do.”

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