Hatters make three changes as Luton chief unsurprised by Reading's fast start to the Championship

Luton boss Nathan Jones insisted he wasn’t surprised at all by Reading’s fast start to the season under manager Paul Ince.

With 11 games gone, the Royals found themselves sitting in third place, having chalked up seven wins, and were just three points off the summit.

However, since then, they have picked up just one victory, with four defeats in their last six outings, dropping down to mid-table.

Jones said: “He’s done a great job there Incey, I know him really well.

“They’re playing with real zest and vigour, but you look at the players they’ve got, they’ve got real good players.

"They've got Jeff Hendrick from Newcastle, they’ve got Lucas Joao, Tom Ince has a new lease of life, the centre halves are coveted, so they‘ve got a good side.

“They’ll be a tough test, they haven’t surprised me they’re doing well, once they get organised, as he did well at the end of last year, so he’s just carried that form on.”

The Royals boss, who was a former Manchester United, Liverpool, West Ham and England player during his career, gave high praise to Jones during his previous visit with the Berkshire club at the end of last season, Luton coming out on top 1-0.

Jones continued: “He doesn't often speak well of me!

"I've done coaching badge and a pro license with him, he’s a good guy.

"Obviously I know Tom really well and I know Paul through Tom as well, we developed our bond through that, so we’ve got a friendship and that’s good.”

With Luton having four games in the next 12 days and Jones admitting the likes of Jordan Clark and Allan Campbell were tiring during Saturdays 1-1 draw with Sunderland, he has rotated his side this evening, with Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Sonny Bradley and Harry Cornick coming in for Carlton Morris, Henri Lansbury and Clark.

Ahead of the game, he added: “We always look at the team as then we go to Blackpool and then we go to Stoke and then we’ve got Rotherham here.

"It’s a relentless schedule, so everyone has to play and then we go into an international break.

"It's unfair really because if someone wanted to play a World Cup in November, for whatever reason, in the hottest place on earth, so they might as well have just played it on the sun in June, because there’s no different.

"It’s tough, but we have to roll with it and then we’ll look forward to getting into the international break and getting everyone back as that’s what we need.”