PREVIEW: Huddersfield Town v Luton Town

After making a terrible start to the Championship's resumption last month, Huddersfield have given their hopes of staying up a major boost in the last three matches.

The Terriers began with a 2-0 home defeat to fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic and lost 3-1 at Nottingham Forest to drop into the relegation zone on goal difference.

However, Danny Cowley's side then headed to Birmingham, claiming all the points in a comfortable 3-0 triumph and followed that up with back-to-back stalemates at Preston North End, plus Reading's visit to the John Smith's Stadium on Tuesday night.

The point against the Royals was enough to move Town two clear of the bottom three, and knowing that a win over Luton will do wonders for their survival hopes.

The Terriers had not expected to be anywhere near this kind of position at all in the summer, after relegation to the second tier from the Premier League.

However, that they are now looking down rather than up is quite an achievement after a quite terrible start to a season which has already seen them on to their third manager.

Jan Siewert was dismissed after just three games, while caretaker Mark Hudson's reign also lasted just three matches, all defeats, including a 2-1 reverse at Kenilworth Road.

That saw Lincoln boss Danny Cowley installed and although he started with two losses, to make it just a solitary point from their opening eight fixtures, the rot was finally stopped with a 1-1 draw against Millwall.

Then it began to click as Huddersfield finally put a consistent run of form together, initially going seven games unbeaten with four wins, as from their following 17 matches, they picked up seven victories and six draws, lifting them up to 20th place, seven points clear the drop zone.

However, the turn of the year has led to another tough run of form, starting with a 5-2 home loss to Stoke on New Year's Day and also going down to fellow relegation rivals Barnsley.

There has been the odd and quite crucial win though, at Hull and QPR, while back-to-back successes over Bristol City and Charlton Athletic looked to have got things moving again, until the season was postponed.

However, with just four fixtures to go, Cowley is well aware the importance of three points against the Hatters, telling the club's official website: “We're pleased to have kept three clean sheets in the last three games.

“We've been pleased with our defensive organisation. We've had three good performances, we are three unbeaten and had three clean sheets.

“We know the significance of the game. It's about us getting to our level of performance in and out of possession.

"If we do that we will put ourselves in a good place to get the desired outcome.

"You see the group fighting. You can see the togetherness and the unity.

"It's important you have these in the situation we are in."

Team news: Luton might welcome Kazenga LuaLua back into the fold following his knee injury, while there are doubts over Glen Rea (thigh).

Izzy Brown is out after suffering an Achilles injury, as both Brendan Galloway (knee) and Eunan O'Kane (knee) won't play a part.

For the Terriers, Frazier Campbell could well be back from his Achilles injury, but Juninho Bacuna does definitely return from a three game ban.

Central defender Richard Stearman is training again, although both he and Steve Mouinie aren't expected to feature, while Tommy Elphick is also out.

Top scorers: Hatters - James Collins (12). Terriers - Karlan Grant (18).

Man in the middle: Geoff Eltringham – has taken 25 games this term, showing 88 yellows and two reds, with his only Hatters match, the 2-0 defeat at Derby County in October.

That was his first Town fixture since the last-gasp 3-2 win at York City in February 2016, when Olly Lee scored a wonderful stoppage time decider.

Also had the 1-1 draw at Accrington Stanley on the opening day of that campaign, plus officiated Luton's 1-0 win over Wolves in the FA Cup in January 2014.

The referee's assistants are Richard Wild and Mark Dwyer, with Robert Jones the fourth official.

In charge: Danny Cowley - was a midfielder in his playing days, featuring mainly for non-league clubs including Romford, Hornchurch and Braintree Town.

Became assistant manager at Concord Rangers in 2007, soon taking over as joint manager with Danny Scopes.

Won two promotions and reached the first round proper of the FA Cup, before heading to Braintree Town in April 2015, where he made the National League play-offs, appointed Lincoln City chief in May 2016.

Led the Imps back to the Football League and also lifted the EFL Trophy in April 2018, as he masterminded City's rise to League One the following season too.

Left Lincoln in September last year, joining Huddersfield as he won the Championship Manager of the Month award for October 2019.

View from the opposition: Danny Cowley talking to the Terriers' official website: “Luton are in good form away from home.

"It's been no surprise they hit the ground running under Nathan Jones.

"They will be frustrated after their last two games.

"We know it'll be a tough game, we are under no illusions.

"There's no hiding place, the pressure is on. This is a vital time for this football club."

Friendly faces: Defender Martin Cranie moved to Huddersfield from Barnsley in July 2015, staying for two and a half years, as he played 64 games for the club, including three Premier League appearances, leaving in January 2018 as he signed for Middlesbrough.

Midfielder Jacob Butterfield moved to Huddersfield from Middlesbrough as part of a swap deal with Adam Clayton in August 2014, playing 52 games, including some as team-mates with Cranie, scoring seven goals.

Left for Derby in September 2015, the Rams shelling out an estimated £5m for his services.

On-loan midfielder Izzy Brown joined Huddersfield from Chelsea in January 2017, playing 21 games and scoring five goals as the Terriers reached the Premier League by beating Reading on penalties in the play-off final, a game that Cranie also played in.

Meanwhile, Luton's head of goalkeeping Kevin Dearden joined the Terriers in March 1999 from Brentford, but left in June without featuring for the first team.

Played for both: Brian Horton - headed to Luton from Brighton & Hove Albion in August 1981, as he captained the side to the Second Division title, named in the PFA Team of the Year.

Helped Hatters stay up the following season with a final day win at Manchester City, and the next campaign too, leaving in 1984 after 132 appearances and 10 goals, heading to Hull City as player-manager.

After taking charge of Oxford United and Manchester City, Horton was appointed Huddersfield boss in the summer of 1995, finishing eighth in the First Division in his opening season.

Broke the club's transfer record at the time to sign Bristol Rovers striker Marcus Stewart for £1.2m, but was sacked in September 1997 with the club bottom of the table.

Went on to manage Brighton,Port Vale, Macclesfield Town, while was also assistant at Hull, Preston, Doncaster Rovers and then finally Swindon Town, leaving the club in May 2018.

One to watch: Karlan Grant - 22-year-old forward who started his career with Charlton, heading to Cambridge on loan, before a temporary stay at Crawley that really kick-started his career, scoring nine goals in 15 games.

Returned to the Addicks and netted 14 times at the start of the 2018-19 season, earning his move to Huddersfield, then in the top flight, during the January transfer window, scoring four Premier League goals.

Is one of the main reasons, the Terriers have their heads above the drop zone this term, having scored in his first three appearances and managed to reach double figures by November.

One seven match drought apart, he has been a regular on the scoresheet, as his strike in the 3-0 win against Birmingham recently, made it 18 campaign.

We've got form: Luton have an impressive record during their 11 trips to Huddersfield over the years.

They started in October 1952 with a 3-0 Division Two defeat, but won their next visit, 2-0, going on a run of one loss in six.

Since the Terriers moved into the John Smith's Stadium Luton have found it tougher, with just one win from four, that in September 2002, Steve Howard getting the only goal to settle a Division Two encounter.

In total, Hatters have won five, drawn two and lost four of their visits, scoring 10 goals and conceding 12.

Last time out: Luton went down to a 2-0 defeat at Huddersfield on their last visit, a League One clash on September 29, 2007.

Luke Beckett put the Terriers in front on 36 minutes, while Town were then reduced to 10 men just after the interval when Paul Furlong was sent off.

Danny Cadamarteri bagged a second on the hour mark as Hatters couldn't mount a comeback.

Hatters: Ben Alnwick, Richard Jackson (Calvin Andrew 68), Jaroslaw Fojut, Alan Goodall, Chris Perry, Matthew Spring, Steve Robinson, David Bell, Dean Morgan (Drew Talbot 46), Paul McVeigh (Darren Currie 46), Paul Furlong.

Subs not used: Chris Coyne, David Edwards.

Referee: Dean Whitestone.

Attendance: 9,028.