Form
Luton Town were relegated from the Championship last season, after finishing 22nd in the league. They finished on the same number of points as Hull City, but their significantly worse goal difference sent them down on the final day.
It’s been a whirlwind few years for the Hatters, having been promoted to the Premier League in 2023, before suffering back-to-back relegations down to the third tier. They currently sit 10th in the table, three places and four points behind Reading.
Their recent form has
been questionable, having seen one win, two draws and two losses in their last five games. The Hatters’ last league match saw them draw 1-1 away to bottom club Port Vale. They booked a trip to Wembley in midweek, beating Northampton Town 2-1 to make it to the final of the EFL Trophy, where they will play Stockport County.
The two sides faced each other back in December, with Reading winning a five-goal thriller 3-2. Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan scored a 78th-minute winner.
The boss
Jack Wilshere: Wilshere was appointed Luton manager in October last year, taking over from Matt Bloomfield, who was sacked after only nine months in charge of the Hatters.
Wilshere’s playing career started at Arsenal at the age of nine, joining their youth system from Luton. He was a star in their youth setup and made his breakthrough into the senior squad in 2008 at only 16 years old. Wilshere signed his first pro deal in 2009 and went onto spend time on loan at Bolton Wanderers.
He became a regular part of the Arsenal squad upon his return and went on to make 197 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 14 goals. At the back end of his career, Wilshere appeared for West Ham United, Bournemouth and AGF, before retiring in 2022.
Wilshere’s first coaching role saw him return to Arsenal to manage their under-18 side, where he stayed until joining Norwich City as a first-team coach last October. He had a spell as interim manager of the Canaries before securing his first managerial role at Luton in October.
Since joining the Hatters, Wilshere has won 13 of his first 30 games in charge, giving him a win percentage of 43%. The 34-year-old likes his sides to adopt a patient passing game, playing the ball out from the back.
Squad
Luton signed five players during the winter transfer window with two joining on permanent deals and three arriving on loan.
Their permanent additions were midfielder Sverre Sandal, who signed from Norwegian side KFUM, and striker Devante Cole, who joined from Port Vale – both for undisclosed fees. Those joining on loan were midfielders Kasey Palmer and Davy van den Berg, who joined from Hull City and Utrecht respectively, and winger Emilio Lawrence, who joined from Premier League side Manchester City.
Forwards Elijah Adebayo and Ali Al-Hamadi and midfielder Hakeem Odoffin are all fitness doubts for this weekend’s game.
Predicted lineup
Keeley, Jones, Lonwijk, Naismith, Johnson, Saville, Walsh, Richards, Clark, Lawrence, Wells
Key player
5. Mads Andersen: Defender Andersen signed for Luton when they were in the Premier League in July 2023, joining from Barnsley for an undisclosed fee.
He started his career in the youth setup at Danish side Brondby and signed his first pro deal in 2015. Andersen only made one first-team appearance for Brondby and went on to join AC Horsens in 2017, where he became a regular starter.
He stayed at Horsens for two seasons before signing for Barnsley in 2019, where he spent four years, making 175 appearances, scoring five goals. Since joining Luton, the 28-year-old has made 53 appearances for the club, with eight of those coming in the Premier League.
Andersen is a centre-back who, standing at 6ft 4inches tall, is strong in the air while also being comfortable on the ball.
One to watch
38. Joe Johnson: Defender Johnson is a graduate of the Luton Town academy, having also spent time in the youth setup at Arsenal.
He signed his first pro deal with the Hatters in 2023 and made his debut that year. Johnson has recently become more of a first-team regular, making 14 of his 30 Luton appearances this season. The 20-year-old has been capped by England at under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels and has 17 Young Lions caps to his name.
Johnson is a left-back whose hold-up play is strong, while also being a good passer of the ball.
