Mackail-Smith can't feature for Luton during play-offs

EFL regulations state that a player whose standard loan expires at the end of the season, isn’t allowed to play in any remaining league matches for his parent club, on his return.

Jones admitted it was something he had inquired about, with Mackail-Smith scoring five goals in nine games for the Posh recently, as he said: “I spoke to our secretary about that option and he told me once a standard loan is finished, then that’s him done for the season.

“It would be nice to have the option of Craig Mackail-Smith, whether he plays or not because he’s in good form, a great lad, great around the place, but we have four top strikers for this level, so if that’s not the case, then we didn’t bank on it anway.

“Once they go on a standard loan that’s them done, so him and Josh McQuoid will be ineligible for us moving forward this season.

“The reason we wanted Macka to go out because he wasn’t going to figure so much here.

“He’s gone out, he’s done well. By Macka going out it’s enabled us to bring in Ollie Palmer who’s in decent form himself.

“So it was a means to an end and we stand by that decision as we’ve got four very good ones here for the level and we want all those four competing.”