Luton boss will continue to manage the burden of flying winger Ogbene

Luton boss Rob Edwards will continue to manage the burden on flying winger Chiedozie Ogbene after admitting the Irish international is still not quite fully fit after his recent injury problems.

The 26-year-old has made a wonderful start to his life at Kenilworth Road, named the club’s Diamond Player of the Month for October, after he had already claimed the award for August/September too.

However, Ogbene hasn’t been firing on all cylinders since he went off in the latter stages of the 1-1 draw against Liverpool last month, suffering with a tight hamstring and an ankle issue as well.

It meant his impact was hindered in the 1-0 defeat to Manchester United, replaced with four minutes to go, as he had to pull out of playing for the Republic of Ireland during the most recently international break too.

The former Brentford and Rotherham attacker did recover to get through the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace when the Premier League season resumed, producing a terrific assist for Jacob Brown’s late winner, also starting against Brentford last weekend, replaced on the hour of the 3-1 loss.

Ogbene was then on the bench for Tuesday night’s 4-3 defeat to Arsenal, coming on for the final half an hour, as discussing his fitness, Edwards said: “He’s still not quite right with that one where he missed the international games for Ireland as well, so we’re monitoring that. We want him to get him out there and get the best out of him. He’s feeling one or two bits, but he’s a warrior and will really, really try to go through it for us.

"I think it was probably the right call the other day not to go with him from the beginning as the amount of running and the intensity that we needed, and then to be able to bring him on, hoping he can have an impact in the latter stages, but he’s not 100 percent.”

It means that Edwards is also having to limit the amount of work the summer signing can do at the Brache between matches as well, adding: “He’s been a little bit in and out and I like it when the lads are out there, out there all the time and being able to do the full training.

"We have to adapt as some lads have to modify bits and we have to be selective in what they do and what they don’t do, but it’s always great to have them out for the tactical work and everything. So over the last couple of weeks since the international break when he wasn’t right, he’s not been able to do every part of all the sessions, which isn’t ideal, but we’re doing that for one or two of the others as well.

"We don’t have to go into who, but we just have to try and adapt certain bits of sessions as we want them right and in tiptop shape for Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, whenever we play.”