Luton Town

Bristol City welcome Luton Town, with the hosts having gone four games without a win.

The Robins have lost two and drawn two of their past four games, last winning against Plymouth on 30 November.

Luton come into the trip to Ashton Gate having won two out of the past four and are two points behind their opponents.

• Bristol City have lost two of their last 16 home league games against Luton Town (W8 D6) and won 2-0 in the most recent game at Ashton Gate in August 2022.

• Luton have won eight of their last 11 league games against Bristol City (D1 L2), although both defeats were at Ashton Gate, in 2019-20 and 2022-23.

• Bristol City won 4-1 against Watford on Boxing Day last year but haven't won on December 26 in consecutive years since doing so in 2013 (1-0 vs. Walsall) and 2014 (2-1 vs. Yeovil).

• Luton have won four of their last six league matches on Boxing Day, winning in each of the last two years against Norwich (2-1 in 2022) and Sheffield United (3-2 in 2023).

• Bristol City's Nahki Wells has scored four goals in five Championship starts against Luton, with all four goals coming on home soil (1 with QPR, 3 with Bristol City).

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Luton Town midfielder Liam Walsh has apologised to supporters following two red cards already this season.

Following his 14 December dismissal against Blackburn, he will continue serving a four-match suspension throughout the festive and New Year period and has been fined by the club.

"As a football fan myself I understand how much I've let you down and I own up to that, there is no excuse. I have made not one but two mistakes now that I know myself are not good enough and not up to the standards expected as a professional," he told the club website, external.

"I've had a week or so to think how I can make it up to the fans of this great football club, because Luton Town is a club I want to be at and succeed at. I will be working hard now to stay as fit as possible so I am ready to come back to the pitch to help the boys, and also showcase to you fans how much you mean to me.

"I know a lot of people won't take my apology well and rightly so, but I look forward to playing in front of you Hatters again, backing up my words and helping this club go on to success."

Luton go into the festive period 15th in the Championship following their dramatic come-from-behind win over Derby County last Friday.

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Luton Town midfielder Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu said he "still has it in his locker" after his volley diverted off team-mate Tom Holmes to equalise in the 2-1 win over Derby County on Friday.

Mpanzu, 30, has been with the club since 2013, back when the Hatters were playing their football in the National League, and his clean strike a minute from time initially looked to be his first goal of the season but he was later credited with an assist.

However, he does not mind who scores as long his side win.

"I didn't know who it hit first of all, so listen, a goals a goal right now," Mpanzu told BBC Radio Three Counties following the win over the Rams.

"I've got it in the locker still, I don't know why people are trying to doubt me. If Holmesy wants to take the goal, I'll let him have it."

Mpanzu also made reference to the Kenilworth Road pitch which has suffered over recent weeks because of the bad weather across England.

"Listen, the pitch is like a cow field right now. This game wasn't pretty but sometimes football isn't pretty. Friday night at Kenilworth Road can be difficult for anyone."

Luton Town will look to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat at Blackburn when they welcome Derby County for an important clash in the bottom half of the Championship on Friday evening.

Rob Edwards' side, who are 19th, have one one of their past five games (D1 L3) but are unbeaten in five at Kenilworth Road.

The Rams are 14th and ended a six-game winless streak (D3 L3) with an impressive 4-0 victory over Portsmouth last week, but could go 10th with a win ahead of the rest of the weekend's action.

• Luton Town have lost just one of their past five league games against Derby County (W3 D1), winning this exact fixture 1-0 when it was last played in February 2022.

• Derby County have lost each of their past three away league games against Luton Town, with each of those defeats coming via a different scoreline (1-0, 2-1 and 3-2).

• Luton have lost just one of their past nine home league games (W5 D3), keeping three clean sheets during that time and conceding multiple goals in just two of those matches.

• Derby have won just one of their 11 away league games during the 2024-25 season (D4 L6), scoring more than one goal in just two of those matches.

• Derby have scored 13 goals from set pieces situations in the Championship so far this season – the most of any side in the competition, while both the Rams and Luton have netted eight goals from corners this campaign, the joint-most in the second tier.

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Luton Town's injury woes continue as right-back Daiki Hashioka has been all but ruled out of Friday's game against Derby County (20:00 GMT).

The Hatters are plagued with injuries to their defensive line with Hashioka the latest added to a list including Teden Mengi, Amari'i Bell, Reece Burke and Reuell Walters.

The Japan international was substituted during last week's trip to Blackburn Rovers with a strain injury and while he has returned to training, boss Rob Edwards has confirmed Friday "might be too soon for him".

Meanwhile, Edwards also says captain Tom Lockyer is "doing really well" in his recovery from a cardiac arrest last December but has sustained a damaged ligament after rolling his ankle in training that will keep him on the sidelines.

The squad will be bolstered by new signing defender Erik Pieters, who Edwards confirms has been training with the squad for two weeks.

Defender Mads Andersen is also fully back in training and will be available for selection.

As for bringing in reinforcements during the January transfer window, Edwards stresses that the club has a plan but "will see how things shape up".

"January - we can have a good plan but it's quite unpredictable as well. It's not just us who can decide what's happening. There's other clubs, players, agents - it's quite dynamic," Edwards told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"If we were in control of every single aspect of it, it would be really easy but we're not."

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Luton Town's chief recruitment officer Mick Harford says the club are looking to bring in "two or three" signings in January after an injury-hit first half of the season.

Luton are currently without six players due to injury, with defender Teden Mengi likely to be sidelined for months after knee surgery.

The Hatters are also missing captain Tom Lockyer, as he continues his recovery following a cardiac arrest during a Premier League match against Bournemouth last December.

"It took us a long, long time to adapt to the Championship. It's been one step forwards and two back," Harford told BBC Look East.

"Our injuries, while not an excuse, we've had quite a few and it's had a bearing on our season.

"It's a difficult market in January as salaries go through the roof when you try to recruit but we have a few lined up."

The injuries are not the Hatters only concern, with Rob Edwards' side having only taken four points in 10 league away games this season.

However, despite a run of poor results - especially outside Kenilworth Road - Harford says the club is firmly behind its manager.

"There are a lot of reasons for our disappointing away form, the mentality going away from home but Rob Edwards has his finger on it," Harford added.

"He's done a tremendous job at the club, along with his coaching staff. I can't see why he won't be here for a long time."

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Luton Town manager Rob Edwards is "hopeful" that midfielder Liam Walsh will be able to make the matchday squad as they make the trip to Blackburn Rovers.

Walsh has missed the past four league games for the Hatters with a hamstring issue but is now back in training.

It's a boost for Luton, who have seen their squad depleted by a number of injuries, with s defenders Teden Mengi and Amari'i Bell and midfielder Shandon Baptiste out until the new year.

Although Edwards has confirmed that the XI that beat Stoke City 2-1 on Tuesday should be available for selection again on the weekend, and will likely form his starting line-up.

"I'm not going to be picking the team on analysis and data or looking at what could happen," Edwards told BBC Radio Three Counties.

"We've got to go off, 'these are the lads that are fit' and the majority of them will go again. That's the norm in any league."

The win against Stoke provided Luton with their first win in four league games and has helped lift them to 15th on the table, five points clear of relegation.

They next face fifth-place Rovers on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Both Blackburn and Luton picked up three points in their midweek games, with Rovers winning 1-0 at Sheffield Wednesday and the Hatters beating Stoke 2-1.

Blackburn are on an impressive run of five straight victories and are fifth in the Championship, seven points off the automatic promotion spots with a game in hand.

Luton are 15th and five points above the drop zone but have won just once away from home this season (D1 L7) and conceded 15 goals in their past four games on the road.

• Blackburn Rovers have won just one of their past 11 league games against Luton Town (D4 L6), a 1-0 victory in January 2021 courtesy of an Adam Armstrong strike.

• Luton have lost just one of their past five away league games against Blackburn (W2 D2), having lost five of their previous six league trips there (D1).

• Blackburn have won six of their nine league games at Ewood Park so far this season (D1 L2); since 2001-02 Rovers have only won at least seven of their first 10 such games to begin a campaign, doing so in 2022-23 (8).

• Luton have lost each of their past six away league games, conceding 20 goals in that run (3.3 per game); the Hatters haven't endured a longer such run in the EFL in February 2020 (run of 11).

• Luton have lost 14 away league games in 2024, their most in a year as an EFL side since 2008 (also 14). They last suffered more away defeats in a year back in 1991 (15).

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Today marks the 40th anniversary of Luton legend Mick Harford joining the club for the first time.

Powerful forward 'Big Mick' was signed by Hatters boss David Pleat from Birmingham City for a fee of £250,000.

The now 65-year-old went on to score 57 goals in 139 league appearances and won two England caps in 1988, the same year he helped the Hatters defeat Arsenal at Wembley to win the League Cup. He also went on to score in the following year's final too, a 3-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest.

He eventually left Kenilworth Road in January 1990, joining Derby for £450,000, going on to score an own goal in a final day match against the Hatters which ultimately helped his former club avoid relegation.

Harford returned to Town in September 1991 but despite netting 12 goals in 29 games couldn't prevent the club suffering relegation from the top flight the following May.

His coaching career began at Kenilworth Road, as assistant coach to Joe Kinnear in 2001, helping Town bounce back to Division Two at the first attempt, and later returned as director of football and then as manager in January 2008, leading Luton to EFL Trophy victory over Scunthorpe the following year.

He took up a role as chief recruitment officer in January 2016 but was named interim boss in January 2019 after Nathan Jones' departure and guided the Hatters to the League One title.

He also took interim charge for a game after Jones left for Southampton in November 2022 following his second stint in the dugout.

Such is his status in the town, earlier this year Harford was awarded the freedom of Luton by the local council.

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Luton boss Rob Edwards has said it is clear that his side need to improve their away form as they look to climb further away from the Championship relegation zone.

Tuesday's 2-1 win over Stoke City at Kenilworth Road made it 18 points from their past nine home games and took them five points clear of the bottom three.

"Our form at home is promotion form - Kenilworth Road is that fortress for us," Edwards told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"There won't be many teams with better home form than us over the past nine or 10 games."

Luton visit Blackburn Rovers in the Championship on Saturday, having lost six successive away games.

"It's clear where we need to improve, it's obvious," added Edwards. "We've got to transfer that home form away and we're working really hard to try to do that."

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Luton Town's Victor Moses says he is happy to play anywhere as long as it helps the team.

The Nigerian international found himself at left wing-back for Tuesday night's 2-1 win over Stoke City which ended the Hatters' three-game streak without a victory.

"I'm a utility player and can play in any position - I'm happy to help the team," Moses told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"Anywhere the manager wants me to play I'm happy - I've always been that sort of player who switches position to cover and help the team and I want to keep on doing that and enjoying playing."

The 33-year-old arrived at Luton as a free agent in September after leaving Spartak Moscow and is hoping his experience can help them climb the Championship table.

"I've said to the lads we just need to keep our heads down - don't do stupid things because I've been in a position like this before.

"We need to enjoy our football - don't complicate it, just do the basics right and things will come around."

Luton are up to 14th place and visit Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.