LUTON Town will be without six players for tomorrow’s home match with York City.
The Hatters main problems are in midfield where Alex Lawless is ruled out due to a clause in the loan deal that saw him leave the Minstermen for Bedfordshire last month.
Fellow on-loan midfielder Charlie Henry, recruited recently from Newport, is injured and, with Adam Murray farmed out to Mansfield, that leaves Luton manager Richard Money with just one recognised senior central midfielder in Keith Keane.
Amari Morgan-Smith can play there in a makeshift capacity but is also sidelined, along with another winger Adam Newton.
As a consequence, former Stevenage wide-man Andy Drury is likely to move inside with leading marksman Matthew Barnes-Homer switching to the left wing.
Ex-Kidderminster striker Barnes-Homer has netted 11 times this season but has only scored once in his last six outings.
Jason Walker, who arrived on loan from Barrow last month, is expected to partner Danny Crow in attack having grabbed his second goal in three appearances for the Hatters when he joined Lawless on the scoresheet in Tuesday night’s 2-1 FA Trophy first round replay win at Welling.
Former Liverpool defender Money has labelled that competition a “hindrance” and, having made nine changes to his starting line-up for the tie, will revert to his strongest possible side against the Minstermen.
As well as midfield quartet Lawless, Henry, Morgan-Smith and Newton, though, injured first-choice left-back Freddie Murray and centre-half Shane Blackett will also be missing.
Third-placed Luton, who currently lie two points behind Blue Square Bet Premier leaders AFC Wimbledon, are the division’s leading marksmen with 41 goals.
The Hatters have plundered 14 alone in their last three league home matches, hammering Histon 5-1, Bath City 3-1 and Forest Green 6-1.
Money’s men have also won six of their last seven Kenilworth Road league clashes with the only blemish a 2-1 defeat to Crawley in October when ex-Minsterman Richard Brodie was on the visitors’ scoresheet.
Luton boast the division’s best home record with Newport and Hayes the only other sides to come back with points from 1-1 draws.
Team (probable): Tyler; Gleeson, Pilkington, Kroca, Howells; Gnapka, Keane, Drury, Barnes-Homer; Walker, Crow.
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