Luton boss won't go 'mad' and make wholesale changes for FA Cup clash against Wigan

Luton boss Rob Edwards isn’t expecting to make wholesale changes to his side for their FA Cup third round tie against Wigan Athletic at Kenilworth Road this weekend.

The Hatters come up against a Latics team who have struggled badly in recent weeks, dropping to the bottom of the Championship after a run of four straight defeats, a polar opposite of Town’s form, with three successive wins over Christmas.

Edwards’ side go into the contest on the back of a run of three fixtures in seven days, but with just another three league matches to follow in January, the boss doesn’t want to lose the momentum gained from the festive period.

Speaking to the press, when asked if the game represented a chance to give some players a chance who haven’t featured as much recently, the likes of Harry Cornick, Cauley Woodrow, Cameron Jerome and Luke Berry looking for some game time, he said: “It might do, it might not.

"Something I’m really pleased about is we’ve got a really strong squad and we’ve got competition for places.

"I’m very confident with whoever we select at the moment that they’re in good form to go out and hopefully get the win for us.

“There will be a couple of changes but I don’t need to go mad.

"I want to try and keep a rhythm and we haven’t got loads of midweek games coming up now either.

"One or two will get an opportunity but we want to keep the rhythm.

"We’re in a good moment and we want to keep that going.

“I stressed this today, because it’s the FA Cup, we don’t come off it now because it’s not the league.

"We want to keep the momentum going.”

One player who could be in line for a rare first team opportunity is keeper Harry Isted.

The 25-year-old has played once this season, deputising for an ill Ethan Horvath at Stoke City during Nathan Jones’ last game in change, but has gone above Matt Macey in the pecking order, a regular on the bench in Town’s Championship affairs.

Edwards keep his cards close to his chest, as he continued: “I’m not going to give anything away on any individuals, but what I will say is there will be one or two changes.

"I’m not going to change loads as there’s not loads and loads of games coming up in quick succession.

"We perhaps might not need to make as many changes as the club have done in the past because of the number of games.

"You’ll have to wait and see for the line-up at the weekend, but there won’t be a tonne of changes.”

One thing that Edwards does finally have this weekend is options among the back three, with Gabe Osho free from suspension.

After Reece Burke returned from injury to score the winner at Huddersfield on Sunday, it means that only club captain Sonny Bradley is absent as he recovers from the knee injury suffered against Reading in November.

The boss added: “We have, which is really good.

"It has been unusual because we’ve been used to playing with a suspension or two.

"It’s nice to have some options, so some difficult decisions.

"That’s what you want in this position I’m in, so I’m happy with that.”