Edwards confirms Hatters striker Adebayo is fit enough to start against Everton

Luton striker Elijah Adebayo is in contention to start for the Hatters in their massive Premier League clash at home to Everton tomorrow night.

The 26-year-old, who had missed 12 matches with a hamstring injury that forced him to pull out of the 2-1 loss to Manchester United ahead of kick-off in February, was back in the Town squad for the 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, coming off the bench for the final 12 minutes. With no setbacks after that brief run-out, Town boss Rob Edwards must now decide, given the magnitude of the situation, Luton able to move out of the bottom three with a victory over the already-safe Toffees, whether he puts the forward in from the opening whistle.

It’s definitely something he is considering and asked if he was fit enough to do so if that was the case, Edwards said: “Yes he is. If he starts he probably wouldn’t be able to get through the full game. There’s an element of risk with every player now, we haven’t got a crystal ball and we don’t know, but he’s in a position where he feels good to go and then we’ve got to try and make the right call on him. He’s trained well, no issues, so that’s a real positive.”

Adebayo came on to the field with Town 2-0 down at Molineux as they appeared consigned to another defeat, but from the moment he came on, he showed just what Luton had been missing. The former Fulham youngster looked sharp, trying to twist and turn his way between defenders, as he won a set-piece that saw team-mate Carlton Morris eventually pull one back.

Edwards was pleased that the frontman was quickly up to speed with the pace of the top flight once more, as he continued: “It was immediate wasn’t it, he had an immediate impact. I thought he looked really positive, won the corner for the goal, just his physical attributes anyway cause one or two problems and make people think a little bit more, but it’s not just that. We’ve missed Eli’s energy, his pressing, defending and attacking set-pieces, his physicality.

"He doesn’t get enough credit for the brain he’s got as well, he’s very tactically aware, Eli. We’re having meetings, he always knows the answer, he probably doesn’t get enough credit for how bright and intelligent he is.”

Prior to his injury, it looked like Adebayo and Morris had got a good thing going on, beginning three league games in a row together and scoring six goals between them in that time, Adebayo with four, including a treble against Brighton & Hove Albion. It was an attacking system, also involving Chiedozie Ogbene, that was serving the Hatters excellently, with Edwards saying: “They were playing very well together and it was more in a three, Carlton in a slightly more withdrawn role, so it gives us another option.

"There was a real nice dynamic going on before Eli’s injury and that was really pleasing to see how quickly that clicked in the final 10, 15 minutes when Eli came on at Molineux last week, so that was a real positive for us. We have missed Eli, no doubt about it, but Carlton has been a really important player for us, again, not just this season, but last season as well. Ten goals in the Premier League this year, Eli’s on nine, so they’ve both been really important for us.”

With Morris having become the 12th player in Luton’s history to reach double figures during a top flight season, and the first since Mick Harford in the 1991-92 campaign, then with three games to go, Edwards wants Adebayo, currently on nine, to join him on that milestone. He added: “For the lads to get into double figures in their first season in the Premier League, for Carlton to do it, that will be a big target for Eli in these final few games now.

"It would be great, in a team that has struggled to do that. It shows they’ve got a lot of quality and goalscorers want to score goals. There’s more to it, especially for us, we need an all-round performance but they still want to be in there, scoring goals, and not just that but that’s what they are paid to do as well. It’s the hardest thing to do in football and if Eli can chip on with a few, the last few would be huge for us and for him.”