Harford will run the rule over defensive duo Potts and Burke ahead of Millers clash

Luton will run the rule over defensive duo Dan Potts and Reece Burke ahead of this afternoon’s Championship clash against Rotherham United.

Potts had started the first 15 games of the season before missing the trip to Watford recently with illness, recovering to play the next three match until going off with a back injury in the 1-0 win at Blackpool last weekend, sitting out Tuesday night’s 2-0 loss at Stoke.

Burke, meanwhile, has been absent since suffering a hamstring problem in the first half of the 2-0 victory at his former club Hull City on September 30, forced to sit out the last nine fixtures.

When asked if either will be ready to face the Millers, Harford, speaking yesterday, said: “We’re not sure yet, we still have 24 hours before the game.

"We will have a look at Reece Burke and Dan Potts this morning, hopefully they will come through okay but we will see how they are tomorrow.

"There are a few long-term injuries that won’t be coming back, hopefully they will all be set and ready for when the new manager comes in and we kick-off again next month.”

Although Harford hasn’t been in the dug-out this season, concentrating on his role as chief recruitment officer, he is confident Luton will get back to their miserly nature after Tuesday night’s disappointing 2-0 reverse at Stoke City.

He continued: “We’re having a good season. We’re a good team with a good group of players that are a good group to work with.

“We are in a great position. Tuesday night might’ve been, because everyone knew what was really going on, I’m sure it was a bit of distraction for the players.

"But when you look at it on the face of it, we started the game really well on Tuesday, conceded two really sloppy goals, which is probably totally against the way we’ve been playing at the moment.

“Defensively, we’ve been magnificent.

"At Blackpool, in the previous game, that was an outstanding performance in terms of defending.

“The way they put their bodies on the line, got the blocks in and fought for the manager and fought for the club, it was an unbelievable result.

“To concede two goals like that (at Stoke) was totally alien. We just couldn’t recover from it.

“Overall, in the second half especially, I thought we dominated the game but didn’t make any clear-cut chances.

“We didn’t really keep them penned in or penetrate them often enough.

“Overall, it was a performance where we controlled the game but those two silly mistakes cost us.”

Although Rotherham go into the game on the back of a fine 1-0 win at Sheffield United on Tuesday night, a result that lifted them up to 15th in the table, Harford is always confident the Hatters can come away with three points, no matter who they are going up against.

He added: “Every game we play and every game I watch of Luton, whenever people say, ‘what do you think the result will be?’ I always think we’re going to win the game.

“I just think we always put ourselves in a really good position, tactically, technically and physically, we can compete with anyone in this league now.

"That’s been over the last two or three years.

“We’re in a great position. Three points from Saturday will be immense to just get us cemented in the top seven or eight of the table.

“We’re going into the break and then bringing in a new manager, giving him a bit of time to get to know the place, the players and hopefully get off to a good start.”