Luton boss Nathan Jones warns Millwall ahead of Championship clash

Luton Town boss Nathan Jones has warned Millwall that his staff and players have come back from the international break “chomping at the bit” ahead of the final weeks of the Championship season. 

A run of 11 wins in 16 games since the turn of the year leaves the Hatters in third place ahead of the return of fixtures in the second tier.

Luton’s first game back sees them welcome Millwall to Kenilworth Road tomorrow afternoon, which should be a tough test given Gary Rowett’s side have lost just one of their last nine games.

Jones allowed his staff and his squad to “charge the batteries” during the break but, speaking to Luton Today, he’s warned the Lions that his side are ready for the return of the Championship.

He said: “We had a certain win away from home this season where we promised them a run of days and then this week we said if they could achieve a certain points level, then they would get slightly longer and we did.

“So we gave them a little bit of a reward and they’ve come back.

“They’re not going to get any fitter now, it’s about realising where we are, not abusing that fact and then enjoying the rest, so a lot of them got a bit of sun on their body.”

Jones added: “The way the staff work is phenomenal, so I’m glad they got to have that break and they’ve all come back in chomping at the bit for the final push.”

A brace from Harry Cornick helped Luton beat Millwall 2-0 in the reverse fixture at The Den in October and a repeat performance could see them close the gap on second-place Bournemouth to just three points – though the Cherries do have two games in hand.

The Verdict

Given the intensity with which they’ve played this season, it makes a lot of sense that Jones has given his squad some time off since the break