Luton Town vs Millwall; Sky Bet Championship
Luton Town vs Millwall. Sky Bet Championship.
Kenilworth RoadAttendance10,049.
Luton vs Millwall preview: Championship clash live on Sky Sports Football
Watch live on Sky Sports Football from 7.30pm on Wednesday
Wednesday 2 October 2019 16:27, UK
Luton face Millwall in the Sky Bet Championship on Wednesday. Coverage gets underway live on Sky Sports Football from 7.30pm; Kick-off is at 7.45pm..
Team news
Luton boss Graeme Jones has no fresh injury concerns ahead as his team prepare to host Millwall in the Sky Bet Championship on Wednesday. Andrew Shinnie has returned to training after missing Luton's 2-1 win at Blackburn on Saturday with a knee problem, and has a chance of being involved on Wednesday.
In a further boost for Jones, Martin Cranie is also back in training after he sustained ligament damage during Luton's 1-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday in August. Duo Danny Hylton and Glen Rea remain sidelined for the Hatters.
Millwall manager Neil Harris will have some late fitness calls to make ahead of Wednesday's match. The Lions could be without striker Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, who missed Saturday's game through illness, and will have to be assessed.
Jason McCarthy also sat out during Millwall's 1-1 draw at Huddersfield on Saturday with a toe problem and is expected to be re-assessed. Tom Elliott is also not fully fit while Jiri Skalak has been improving but will not be ready for the clash with the Hatters.
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Recent form
Luton will look to make it back-to-back wins following that fine victory at Ewood Park. The Hatters have won only once in four home league games so far, and Jones knows that Kenilworth Road must be turned into a fortress if his side are to preserve their Championship status.
The Lions began the season with seven points from their opening three league games, but they have yet to really recover from the 4-0 thrashing at Fulham on August 21. Harris' side are without a win in seven games in all competitions, but with Leeds visiting The Den this weekend, Millwall will want to go into that encounter with a bit of form.
What the managers said...
Luton boss Graeme Jones: "We're nine games in and we have done OK. Saturday was our best performance of the season, without a doubt. You go to a Premier League stadium, a stadium and a team [Blackburn] that have got huge history, that won the Premier League 25 years ago, so not too long ago in our history.
"It guarantees you nothing for Wednesday night, absolutely nothing, you start again - that's the modern game, we've got a different style to plan for in Millwall. It will be a totally different environment at home, it's a night game, so we have to be ready for whatever comes our way, that's the most important quality in football now. You need to be adaptable, you need to be flexible, so just look forward."
Millwall boss Neil Harris: "I'm fully aware we've not won again [on Saturday] and the critics will label that at my team. However, I think the reality is really settling in now that every point we gain this year, we are going to have to work for and I've said that to the players. We have to earn every point.
"We've got a tough match at Luton, then, a huge game at a sold out Den for Leeds United, going into the international break. We'll build on that momentum for Luton on Wednesday night."
Talking point - Jones out for Millwall revenge
Graeme Jones reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals with Belgium as Roberto Martinez's assistant, but in 1986, as a 16-year-old from the North East, he started his journey to the top in south-east London.
"I was scouted by Millwall and came down for a trial, but it was too much for me," Jones told Sky Sports at Luton's training ground.
"It was the 80s, I was 16 and living in New Cross Gate, 15 minutes from the Old Den. I was on £27 a week and went round delivering leaflets in Peckham and Bermondsey to earn an extra £5. Some of the places I went, I don't how I'm alive today!"
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Opta stats
Luton and Millwall last faced in November 2016 in a Football League Trophy match at Kenilworth Road, with the Lions winning 3-1.
In league football, Millwall and Luton last met in the 2007-08 League One campaign, drawing both matches.
Luton haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their last 12 league games since beating Accrington 3-0 in a League One match in April.
Millwall are winless in their last nine away league games (D4 L5), conceding at least once in every game in that run.
Matt Smith has been directly involved in 71% of Millwall's seven Championship goals this season (3 goals, 2 assists).
Prutton's prediction
Luton are slowly adapting to life back in the Championship and under a new boss in Graeme Jones, and they got a big win at Blackburn on Saturday.
Millwall are drifting a little. It is six without a win now for them and they needed a goalkeeping howler to nick a point at Huddersfield at the weekend. I think this is Luton's to win.
David Prutton predicts: 2-1 (17/2 with Sky Bet)
