Luton boss targets clean sheets ahead of 'testing week' for the Hatters with QPR, Norwich and Watford on the horizon

Luton boss Nathan Jones knows Town will need to be at their best defensively ahead of what is a ‘testing week’ for his side.

The Hatters go up against one of their major bogey teams this afternoon when hosting QPR, before travelling to Norwich City on Tuesday evening, the Canaries heavily tipped to bounce straight back to the Premier League this season at the first time of asking.

Following their Carrow Road trip, Luton then have a game that has been on every supporters minds since the fixtures came out, as they travel to fierce rivals Watford for their first derby clash with fans present since April 2006.

With USA international Ethan Horvath having managed three clean sheets in his last four outings, Jones is looking for that to carry on, despite the opposition Town will be facing, saying: “We’re hoping that continues.

"It’ll be a real tough test on Saturday, but I’d like to get four or five (clean sheets) because we’ve got three tough games coming up against three big, ex-Premier League sides.

“So it’ll be a real testing week and we’ll need to be disciplined and defensively strong, because we can’t be gung-ho.

“We do pride ourselves on doing the basics right and that’s why the Huddersfield game was such an anomaly because we’re normally far, far better than that.

“We have to make sure that we don’t do that again and then do all the basics that we did really well at West Brom.”

In order to do that, Luton will need to first keep quiet a Rangers side who are the joint second top scorers on the road so far this term, with 10 goals from their seven matches, enough for four wins, which along with Wigan, is the most in the division.

They are without leading marksman Chris Willock though, the former Arsenal youngster, who as found the net six time already, sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Scottish international Lyndon Dykes is starting to rediscover his form though, netting doubles for club and country recently, as Jones continued: “They’re an excellent attacking side, they always have been.

"We know that they pose a real threat, we have come unstuck against them, some of that has been our own undoing, but we know it is going to be a real tough game.

"We know they’ve got threats, we’ve got threats, they will be aware of our threats and we will be aware of their threats.

"It’s another Championship game, you look at Norwich on Tuesday and they have threats.

" Watford have got threats, you look at West Brom the other day and their front three are real threats.

"Everyone has threats, you wouldn’t be at this level if you didn’t have the capacity to score goals and have individuals that can turn a game.

"QPR have plenty of them.”

Rangers’ fine start to the season has come under the guidance of new boss Michael Beale, the 42-year-old in his first role as a number one having previously been assistant to Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard at Rangers and Aston Villa.

On going up against one of the Championships new faces, Jones added: “I know of him, I worked with Damian Matthew (at Charlton) his assistant and was very friendly with him back in the day, so I know he’s an excellent coach.

"He’s had a real good journey, he’s earned his opportunity and he’s taking it with both hands.

"I’ve known of Michael for a long time, never come up against him in any capacity so this will be the first.”