Osho in the mix if Edwards opts to start fit-again centre half for Luton at Aston Villa

Luton defender Gabe Osho is in the mix to start for the Hatters when they head to Aston Villa for their latest Premier League encounter on Sunday.

The 25-year-old hasn’t played a first team game since the play-off final win over Coventry City at Wembley exactly five months ago, after suffering an injury during pre-season.

However, he was in the match-day squad for the 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest last weekend, a game that saw fellow centre half Reece Burke suffer a hamstring problem of his own which will now keep him out for an unspecified period of time.

With Mads Andersen, Amari’ Bell and Dan Potts all still out, asked whether he could throw Osho straight in at Villa Park, Town boss Edwards said: “He’s in my plans, he was on the bench last week so I saw him as fit enough to be able to play him.

"He’s certainly in the mix, he’s a naturally really good athlete.

"He’s someone that can come in and I think get up to speed with Premier League football pretty quickly.

"He gives us a good option as well with Mads, Burkey, Amari’i out at the moment, Pottsy as well long term, it was important to have him back amongst it.”

The former Reading youngster’s lack of football means it’s more likely that Edwards will go for Manchester City loanee Issa Kabore as part of a back four containing Teden Mengi, Tom Lockyer and Alfie Doughty, especially as they face a free-scoring Villa side containing England international Ollie Watkins.

Edwards continued: “There are other people we can put in there if we wanted to be a little bit more creative, a little bit different.

"We've been playing Burkey more out of possession as a full back and then with the ball a little bit more tucked in and allowing Alfie (Doughty) to go on and become more of a three, but Gabe’s fit and available if we need him.”

Osho got some much-needed minutes under his belt when playing an hour for the U21s as they lost 2-1 to Notts County on Monday afternoon, coming through the contest unscathed.

Edwards felt it would have given him a boost ahead of Sunday’s fixture, saying: “It was probably more important for him.

"He was fit and ready anyway, but probably just a little bit more confidence for him to get through some minutes in the game.

"It was good that for him, we had to look after him for a couple of days and then he was able to train today which was his plan.

"It wasn’t something that we necessarily forced him to go through and do, it was good for him and his mental strength as well.”

Having never played any higher than the Championship, Osho faces a real baptism of fire when he does eventually get his chance in the top flight, as the rest of Town’s squad have found during their period of adaptation to Premier League football.

Asked how building into the new level will happen for the defender, plus Jordan Clark and Potts when they are fit, with Luton having already played nine matches now, Edwards added: “We’ll have to see, time will tell on that.

"We’ve been speaking to them a lot, they’ve been speaking to the lads about the changes and the differences.

"Being able to watch the games and being able to visualise a little bit is good, but until you’re in there, it is difficult to say.

“We hope they’ll adapt and react really positively and well, but we won’t know at the moment.

"All we know is that they’re good players and we believe in them, but time will tell on that one as our lads have had a little bit of a head start on them.”