Stoke are the next visitors to Kenilworth Road. Our recent record against them doe not make pretty reading and The Hatters will want to avange the double they scored over us last term.
Vital Quotes:
Mike Newell to www.lutontown.co.uk:
‘Stoke have got a different manager now, but we know what a Tony Pulis side will be all about.
‘They’ll be hard to beat, as Plymouth was when he took them here last season. They’re a big side and they’ll be organised, but we’ll approach it as we do every game and try and play football.
‘We will have no problems picking the lads up after the Norwich game. It can a long to get over that sort of thing and that’s when you want to have a game on the Tuesday night so you’re not left to think about it.
‘Losing when you’ve been beaten fair and square you can hold your hands up, but it sticks in your throat a bit when you’ve been 2-0 up.’
Tony Pulis on Carl Hoefkens injury scare:
‘Carl hobbled off with a knee injury on Wednesday and we’re hoping he’ll be ok. We’ll get him checked out on Friday. To lose him through injury would be a big blow, because the defence has been solid so far.’
Luton Town Team News:
Steve Robinson and Markus Heikkinenare major doubts with ankle injuries, but Lewis Emanuel and Carlos Edwards should both be available after coming off at Carrow Road.
Ahmet Brkovic has recovered from a dead leg in the reserve team’s 2-2 draw with Leyton Orient.
Player to watch: Dean Morgan
Dean Morgan is looking sharp and may get the nod ahead of Ahmet Brkovic to start on Saturday if Robinson does not make it. David Bell will also fancy his chances of a run out, but Morgan has the skill and the pace to do damage provided he is in the right frame of mind. he will undoubtedly play some part.
Stoke City Team News:
Carl Hoefkens is the main injury doubt after hobbling off in the second-half while playing for Belgium on Wednesday.
Usual replacements Lewis Buxton, Marlon Broomes and Andy Wilkinson are all injured so Pulis will have to reshuffle his back four.
Danny Higginbotham is also doubtful, but likely to be deemed fit enough to face The Hatters.
Adam Rooney, Kevin Harper, John Eustace and Sammy Bangoura are all still some way off a starting place.
Player to watch: Mama Sidibe
Big Mama’ as Potters fans call him played well against Birmingham, and the Mali striker is overdue a goal. It would be Luton’s usual luck for a player in this run of non scoring to break their duck against The Hatters.
Match Facts & Stats
Luton had Stoke beaten twice last year only to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by conceding late goals.
The head to head Stoke have 16 wins, Luton have 10, and 12 were draws.
Luton last beat Stoke in this fixture in February 2000 when Phil Gray scored both goals in a 2-1 victory.
Match Prediction:
They are a bogey team for Luton so a draw would be a decent result: Luton 1 Stoke 1
Next Fixtures:
Tue 22 August 19:45 Away v Bristol Rovers League Cup
at 26 August 15:00 Away v Wolves
Sat 9 September 15:00 Home v Crystal Palace
