Hatters boss reveals he is fairly close to knowing what his first Luton XI will be at Middlesbrough

New Luton manager Rob Edwards and chief recruitment officer Mick Harford watch training - pic: David Horn / PRiME Media Images

Town chief wants to have difficult decisions when it comes to selection

Luton boss Rob Edwards insists he is fairly close to knowing what his first starting XI for the Hatters will be when they head to Middlesbrough for his first game in charge tomorrow.

The former Forest Green and Watford chief was named as Nathan Jones’ successor during the World Cup break, after the former manager left for Premier League Southampton, and has been at the helm for just over three weeks now.

He has only had a fortnight or so to work with the players though as they were initially given some time off following a hectic Championship schedule, returning to the Brache towards the end of November.

Edwards still has a fairly lengthy injury list to contend with, as Dan Potts, Sonny Bradley, Cauley Woodrow and Fred Onyedinma have all been ruled out, with Reece Burke and Henri Lansbury doubts too.

When asked whether he knew the side he would be sending out at the Riverside Stadium at 3pm on Saturday, Edwards said: “We’re pretty close.

“We’ll go through that with the lads and I’m fairly close in my mind, but what’s brilliant is that a lot of them are giving us real food for thought.

“There’s a lot of competition for places, I want difficult decisions and we’ve certainly got some of those.

“The great thing is, whoever we pick, we’ve got some really great options to be able to bring on and help us finish the game.

“It’s a whole squad game, it’s not about the 11, those days are completely gone.

"We’ve got to look after the whole group because every single one of them are so important and we’ll need them all.

“The hardest part of my job is picking the team.

"You have 11 people that are happy and other 11 people that are frustrated.

“I say this to the lads and to you, we need everybody.

"Whether you play 10 minutes, 90 minutes or you don’t get on, every single person in this group and this squad is just as important as each other.

“We’re going to need them in the training to help us and definitely in the games.

"There are 25 huge games to go, plus cup games, so it’s going to take everyone.”

Edwards was able to get an in-depth look at the squad he inherited during a warm weather training camp in Dubai last week, which he felt was a vital exercise to not only put his ideas across, but really start to form some bonds with his new personnel too.

He continued: “It was great, a lovely way to be able to start off our journey here and build on the relationships with the players.

"To get some good quality time, five days or so, with the group, was really good and you’re almost guaranteed the weather.

"So it was really nice to spend potentially a little bit more time on the grass because you’re not getting hit with wind or rain, or whatever else you can get hit with here.

"It was excellent, we got a lot of good quality work in, some messages, we got to know the boys, spending some time with them, so it was really, really good.

"The lads, wherever they go, whatever they do, they represent the club really, really well, so it was a good five days.”

The new manager was also eager to praise the manner in which Town’s players have responded to the change in hierarchy, although it was something he never felt would be a problem, adding: “It’s been brilliant, I’ve really enjoyed it.

"This is not a surprise as I can see it about them when you watch the previous games, and when I spoke to Nathan and when I spoke to other people.

"The honesty and the intensity that they’re training with has been brilliant, really, really good, really refreshing to work with this group.

“Every day they put a smile on your face, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

“The players have worked really hard and we have pushed them, but they’re a really resilient group.

"They respond well to the hard work, they want to work hard, it’s in their DNA and I’ve been really, really pleased with where we’ve been able to push them to and how they’ve responded and where they're at.

“Today (Thursday) and tomorrow is a case of final messages, but tapering down a little bit, because a lot of the physical side, the hard work, has been done over the previous couple of weeks.

“Obviously now it becomes more important because we get down to the games and that is what we do all the training for so we’re looking forward to it."