Sports Mole previews Saturday’s League One clash between Luton Town and Rotherham United, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Both aiming to build on 3-0 victories last weekend and continue climbs up the League One table, Luton Town and Rotherham United will square off at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.
The hosts sit ninth after consecutive league victories, while the visitors have won four of their last five outings in England’s third tier.
Match preview
Luton Town head into the weekend aiming to continue a positive start to life under Jack Wilshere and a four-match winning run in all competitions.
After a disappointing start to the League One season, in their bid to bounce immediately back to the Championship after back-to-back relegations, the Hatters opted to replace Matt Bloomfield with Wilshere in mid-October.
The new boss began with a defeat to Mansfield Town last month, but he has since overseen four straight victories, firstly beating Northampton Town in League One and seeing off Brighton & Hove Albion Under-21s and Forest Green Rovers in EFL Trophy and FA Cup ties respectively.
A tough trip to league leaders Stockport County then followed last weekend, and the Hatters managed their most impressive result of the campaign thus far, dishing out a 3-0 beating with Jake Richards, Cohen Bramall and Isaiah Jones on the scoresheet.
Having now bounced back from a slow start to sit ninth in League One, three points outside of the playoff spots after 14 matches, Luton Town will hope to continue their winning run at Kenilworth Road on Saturday and continue their rise towards the top six.
They face a tough test, though, as the visitors head south with plenty of momentum of their own.
Following the permanent summer appointment of Matt Hamshaw, Rotherham United endured a poor start to their second straight League One term, winning two and losing six of their first 10 matches.
The Millers appear to have found their groove since, though, adding four more notches to their wins column in five further attempts, with a winning run only halted by a 2-2 draw with Burton Albion after three straight triumphs over Northampton Town, Leyton Orient and Barnsley.
Sixth-placed Lincoln City then visited South Yorkshire last weekend, and Hamshaw’s men bounced back to winning ways in a 3-0 victory, as Reece James and Ar’Jany Martha had them 2-0 up at the interval and Denzel Hall put the game out of sight on the hour mark.
Having now climbed away from the relegation zone and into 12th spot, with just a four-point gap up to the top six despite their poor opening run, Rotherham United will look to make it five wins from the last six league games at the weekend in one of their toughest tests yet.
Luton Town League One form:
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Luton Town form (all competitions):
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Rotherham United League One form:
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Rotherham United form (all competitions):
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Team News
Wilshere should field a similar Luton Town starting XI from last week’s win over Stockport County, with Reuell Walters, Shandon Baptiste, Marvelous Nakamba, Shayden Morris, Jordan Clark, Jacob Brown and Elijah Adebayo all remaining sidelined by injuries.
They are also unable to call on midfielder George Saville, as he will serve a one-match suspension and has been called up for Northern Ireland anyway, while Cohen Bramall is a fresh injury concern for the meeting with his former club after getting on the scoresheet and picking up a knock last weekend.
Fellow former Miller Hakeem Odoffin may come into the midfield from the outset in Saville’s absence alongside Lamine Fanne and Liam Walsh, while 18-year-old Jake Richards will continue on the wing after netting his first goal for the Hatters last time out.
Rotherham United should be unchanged from their 3-0 victory over Lincoln City last weekend, and they continue to face a long injury list with defenders Zak Jules, Jamal Baptiste, Sean Raggett and Tom Holmes sidelined alongside Liam Kelly, Joshua Kayode and Kion Etete.
Given their extensive absences at the back, 20-year-old Hamish Douglas will continue to join Joe Rafferty and Reece James in a makeshift back three, with Denzel Hall and Joe Powell taking up wing-back spots.
Having made a full recovery from an injury, Sam Nombe will continue up front, likely alongside Jordan Hugill with further support from Ar’Jany Martha, who netted his first league goal of the season last weekend.
Luton Town possible starting lineup:
Keeley; Jones, Mengi, Andersen, Naismith; Odoffin, Walsh; Richards, Fanne, Kodua; Wells
Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Dawson; Rafferty, Douglas, James; Hall, McWilliams, Gore, Powell; Martha; Hugill, Nombe
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We say: Luton Town 2-1 Rotherham United
Rotherham United have certainly shown strong signs of much-needed improvement under Matt Hamshaw, but the hosts are also getting back to their best and should have the quality to get over the line at Kenilworth Road.
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