Jones left frustrated as injuries prevent former Villa defender Bree from having a run of games this season

Luton boss Nathan Jones admitted not being able to pick summer signing James Bree on a regular basis this term has been a real cause of frustration.

The 23-year-old was one of the stars of Town’s final nine games last term when on loan from Aston Villa, finding a level of form previously unseen once Jones had returned to Kenilworth Road as manager, helping the Hatters stay in the Championship.

Bree then went back to Villa Park, before Jones swooped to bring the ex-Barnsley and Ipswich defender in permanently at the start of September, just four days before Town's opening game of the campaign against Norwich City.

A sub appearance against his former club Barnsley in Town's first Championship clash followed, as the full back started the Carabao Cup game at Reading, playing 85 minutes.

He then came on at half time in the 2-1 win over Derby County but injured his knee when making a block tackle and was out until November.

Bree managed four outings from the bench after his comeback in the 1-1 draw with Huddersfield, eventually starting the 2-0 defeat at Swansea City in December.

Another spell on the sidelines followed, out for a month until starting the 1-0 FA Cup win over Reading, going on to begin Town's next three Championship fixtures, plus the FA Cup defeat to Chelsea, but a latest set-back means he hasn't made the match-day squad since the trip to Stamford Bridge.

He isn't expected to feature again when Luton head to Birmingham City this weekend, as Jones said: “It’s been very frustrating as he hasn’t been able to get a run of games or really get some rhythm and that’s been the real frustrating thing as we had real high hopes for him.

“Now hopefully we get him back and when we do he stays injury-free, but it’s such an important time pre-season and because he didn't have a proper pre-season, he’s always playing catch-up.

“That's why we always like to do our business as early as possible.

“When signings get delayed it really does eat into the groundwork to give them a platform to work and that’s what’s happened.

“He’s played catch up ever since, he's been unlucky with a few things, but it’s been such a frustrating time for him and for us as we brought him to really have a good impact this year.

“We didn’t go after another right back, he was the one that we wanted, he was the one that we really went after and we were pleased to get him.

“We knew that we had to get up him to speed, but we thought with the Reading game in the cup, he was getting there, and then he just picked up an unfortunate injury.

“That took time and something else occurred and then something else occurred again, and that can happen, when you don’t have a proper pre-season, that can happen.

“It’s not his fault, he was in a bit of limbo, but hopefully we get him back and if we get him back for the last 16, 17, 18 games of the season then it’s still a chance to really impact.”

Apart from Bree though, the rest of the Town squad are all fighting fit for the trip to St Andrew's, as Jones added: “All are in real good shape, competitive, we had a real good edge to training this week which is pleasing and we’re in a good place.”