Town chief insists quartet all have bright futures at Luton despite allowing them to leave on loan during transfer window

Town boss Nathan Jones sees futures at Kenilworth Road for all four of the players that he let leave the club on loan during the transfer window.

With Carlos Mendes Gomes heading to Fleetwood last month, the Hatters chief allowed Admiral Muskwe to join him at the Highbury Stadium on deadline day, along with Elliot Thorpe moving to Burton Albion and Dion Pereira heading to Bradford City.

With the average age of under 23 for the quartet, and all of them having been signed by Jones in the last two years, the manager insisted the plan is for them to come back and impact at Kenilworth Road, saying: “There’s four young players there that we’ve got really high hopes for.

“We paid money for them and we see those playing for Luton.

“At the minute, their game time has been more limited than they would have liked, but also that we need them to play to further their development, so that’s why we’ve come across the decision.

“There’s talented players there, there’s talented players that would have impacted for us.

"But Elliot Thorpe for example, impacting for 10 minutes off the bench compared to maybe playing 15 to 20 games, that was the decision.

“Then we’ve always got the scope of bringing one, two, three or four of them back in January, so it was real logic in what we did.

"We believe we’ve got a real strong squad, we believe in what we do, yes it’s a gamble letting four go out, but in January, all four of those will be better for the experience and be closer to our first team.”

With Pereira, the forward was awarded a new deal before returning to the Bantams where he impressed during a loan spell last term.

A number of Town supporters had wanted to see the ex-Atlanta United figure in the Hatters’ first team this season, especially following his exciting full debut in Luton’s Carabao Cup clash with Newport County last month.

However, Jones added: “There’s a lot more than just showing moments of brilliance, he has moments of brilliance in him, but you have to show consistency.

“You have to be there in and out of possession and be able to do a job defensively.

"When you come under the cosh or when you’re out of possession you have to be very good, so all our players have to learn that.

“Some are better at it than others, some are more attacking players, so it’s finding that balance.

“We’re really delighted with Dion, really delighted with Carlos, Muskwe and Elliot Thorpe.

"Elliot Thorpe has surprised us, he’s really kicked on this season, now do we curtail that and keep him in and give him less game time?

“Or do we really allow him to go to a decent club, with a decent manager and flourish.

“Some will come back as was the thing with (Peter) Kioso.

"Kioso wanted to play week in week out, but we felt we had better in the building.

"Now Peter’s gone and he’s carving out a career for himself and we’re delighted with that.

"We’ve enhanced that, this club has enhanced that as he came from Hartlepool, now he’s a Championship defender.

"So all those decisions, yes it would be great to keep a 40-man squad and have flashes of brilliance, but if I give him an opportunity, I don’t get to see Luke Berry or if I give Carlos an opportunity then there’s Cauley Woodrow.

"All these decision come up, so that’s why I’m the manager and hopefully I can keep guiding the club forward.”