Luton Town FC’s top scorer Gideon Kodua is fit to face Plymouth Argyle tomorrow, but boss Jack Wilshere has warned that careful management of his workload remains a priority as Town head into a busy spell, while offering fitness updates on several key players ahead of Saturday’s trip to Devon.
The Ghanaian promising attacker, has become a central figure in Wilshere’s side this season, with five goals in his last four games and ten in total, but he was withdrawn during the second half of last week’s 2-2 draw with high-flying Lincoln City, prompting fans to fear about their best marksman.
But Wilshere confirmed the forward was substituted purely as a precaution rather than through injury.
“He’s fine. Well, I say he’s fine. He’s doubled the minutes he’s ever played in his career already this season, so he’s someone we’re looking at that is obviously so important to us and gives us goal threat, and now he’s our top goal scorer.
“We’re looking at ways to help Gids and protect him and try and also develop him because he’s still young and he needs to understand that you’re not always going to feel perfect, your body won’t always feel great.
“We don’t want to take any risk with him, but that was the reason he was taken off.”
Wilshere also provided a broader update on his squad, with several players edging closer to a return but none guaranteed to feature.
“Teds [Mengi] is closer. He’s been on the grass. So we’ll have a conversation with Chris [Phillips – head physio] and the medical team after to see where he’s at.
“Ali [Al-Hamadi] and Eli [Adebayo] are back sort of part training with the group. Too soon for them, but obviously everyone gets a boost when you see players like that coming back to training, the quality they can have.
“Jake [Richards] was obviously ill and then he got on the pitch last week, so he’s a little bit closer to the team now. “Izzy [Isaiah Jones]? No. Haks [Hakeem Odoffin]? No. I think that’s it.”
Wilshere also confirmed that now loan midfield signing Kasey Palmer will be in contention for the game at Home Park, while Lamine Fanne will be too after he was omitted from the squad last week, because of his performance against Swindon in the Vertu Trophy.
