THE OPPOSITION
They say you should never go back but in the case of Nathan Jones, the sequel has been almost as good as the original at Kenilworth Road.
When Jones, who guided The Hatters to League Two promotion in 2018, returned in May, Luton were six points from safety with just nine games to play. They went on to lose just one of those games, staying up by three points, and have carried that form into this season.
They reeled off four straight wins in all competitions to begin the campaign, their first loss coming to Manchester United in the EFL Cup Third Round. Since that defeat their form has tailed off a little bit with just two wins in six but they still remain just a point outside the top six and only three points off the automatic promotion places.
Leaking goals was their issue last season as they conceded 82 in 46 league matches. However, this term they have let in just seven in eight matches after bolstering their defensive ranks with the additions of Tom Lockyer (Bristol Rovers), James Bree (Aston Villa), and Rhys Norrington-Davies (Sheffield United).
TEAM NEWS
It is as you were for Thomas Frank with Christian Norgaard, Mads Roerslev (both ankle), Shandon Baptiste, and Pontus Jansson (hamstring) all missing tomorrow afternoon.
For Luton, James Collins returned on Tuesday following a positive Covid-19 test while James Bree and Dan Potts are both close to a comeback as well.
THE MANAGER
Nathan Jones endured a nomadic start to his playing career, first in his native Wales, then with Luton Town and finally in Spain before he found a home at Brighton and Hove Albion. The midfielder spent five years on the south coast at the start of the 2000s, making more than 150 appearances as The Seagulls went from Division Three to The Championship. He then spent seven years with Yeovil Town before retiring in 2012 after more than 550 professional appearances.
His first steps into coaching came within the youth setup at Charlton Athletic before jumping to a First Team role at Brighton & Hove Albion. It wasn't, however, until he returned to Luton in January 2016 that he began to make a real impression. He won 11 of his first 21 games to ensure The Hatters' EFL survival before leading them to the Play-Offs the following campaign. He went one better in 2017/18 and had Luton second in League One when he left for Stoke in January 2019. His 38 games at Stoke City brought about just six wins but, back in Bedfordshire, he is once again making a name for himself.
PRE-MATCH VIEWS
⚖ Michael Salisbury will be the man in charge tomorrow