Wilshere explains why Hatters duo missed out against Northampton

Hatters boss Jack Wilshere explained why duo Hakeem Odoffin and Izzy Jones were missing from Wednesday night’s 2-1 victory over Northampton Town.

The pair had both started Sunday’s Vertu Trophy final victory against Stockport County, as Odoffin, who has struggled with injuries this term, had begun the last six league games in a row for Luton, with Town yet to lose whenever he has been in the side from the first whistle. However, after playing at the home of English football on Sunday, going close to scoring himself with a header, also making a brilliant clearance after James Shea’s stunning save late in the contest, he then wasn’t named in the squad for the midweek contest at Kenilworth Road.

Asked about his absence, Wilshere said: “He got a little knock and he was touch and go. With the way he’s been this season and the season he’s had with his injuries, he’s really important to us, everyone knows that, it’s clear. With what we’ve got coming up, two away games in the next few days, we thought it was the best decision to leave him out tonight. There was slightly more of a risk than there would normally be and we didn’t want to take that.”

It was the same for Jones too, as the ex-Middlesbrough winger, who had started nine of Luton’s last 11 league matches, was another who impressed against the other Hatters on Sunday. Seeing penalty appeals turned down in the opening few minutes, Jones then needed treatment, but carried on to last near enough 90 minutes, just unable to make the most of a first half break in which he tried to sprint clear from halfway, only to see Ben Osborn get back and produce a fine sliding challenge at full tilt.

Discussing why he wasn’t selected to face a Northampton side who were ultimately relegated at the full time whistle, Wilshere added: “Izzy hurt his hamstring in the first couple of minutes at Wembley when he went down and the physio came on. The positive is after that he was able to produce the performance that he did, physically, sprinting, so it’s an annoying one for him, and for us, as he’s been really good, but hopefully it’s not too long.

“It was literally the first couple of minutes, he went through, should have been a penalty in my opinion, and then he defended straight away after that and went down. Credit to him for pushing through that as he wanted to play there and he had a good game in my opinion. Lots of positives that he was able to sprint after that, not sprint fast enough for that chance, but he’ll be okay I think.”