Town striker Pepple could feature against former side Grimsby in FA Cup

Forward Aribim Pepple could be in line for his maiden involvement with the Hatters first team when Luton head to Grimsby Town in the FA Cup fourth round this evening.

The 20-year-old, who joined from Canadian side Calgary FC in the summer, was at Blundell Park himself earlier in the campaign, spending a loan stint with the Mariners, where he featured 15 times.

However, he returned to Kenilworth Road last month, and has been training with the first team ever since, scoring for the Development squad in their 4-1 defeat at Huddersfield B last week.

With Luton having taken on both Cardiff and Stoke last week, and then heading to Coventry on Saturday and Preston North End next Wednesday, then with Cody Drameh, Jack Walton, Marvelous Nakamba and Joe Taylor all ineligible, plus Harry Cornick and Cameron Jerome having left the club ahead of the transfer deadline, with Henri Lansbury and Dan Potts still unavailable, while Admiral Muskwe is cup-tied, Edwards will definitely have to rotate his squad.

Giving an update on Pepple’s chances of playing, boss Rob Edwards, speaking yesterday, said: “He’s a great guy, fantastic athlete, he’s just learning all the time.

"He trained well this morning, so it could be an opportunity for him at some stage tomorrow, he will be in the squad tomorrow.

"It is something we will certainly consider (rotating the team).

"I’m really lucky because we’ve got a really good squad that is really competitive and there has been some very good performances recently, individually and team performances as well.

"You want to try and keep that rhythm going but at the same time you’ve just come back off the three difficult games.

"We’ve got this one now which I recognise is a very difficult game and a really big game that we value.

"Then we have a really tough week next week with three important league games again.

"We have to manage the group as best as possible but at the same time the message is the same – we want to win the game."

Edwards does have a number of players desperate to be involved though, with Gabe Osho, Louie Watson, Elliot Thorpe and Cauley Woodrow, all looking to start having not done so during Saturday's 1-0 win over Stoke, as the boss added: “Saturday is the first time I had to leave people out of the squad who are fit.

"There is real competition now, we can have nine subs, we have some people that were involved on Saturday that are ineligible, so there will be changes to the overall squad, no doubt, because there has to be.

"Real competition though and that is what you want at this stage.

"There are games coming thick and fast, people who are chomping at the bit and difficult decisions which is great for me.”