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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
ENGLISH Championship football side Luton Town have delivered positive news about Zimbabwe international Marvelous Nakamba who was declared fit to play in today’s league game against Birmingham City after recovering from a groin knock suffered last week.
Nakamba faced a fresh blow in his quest to reignite his career in England’s second tier football after he was hauled out injured in Luton Town’s 1-0 defeat to runaway Sky Bet Championship log leaders Burnley.
The 29-year-old limped off the pitch on the 68th minute after having put on a commendable shift for Luton Town, who are pushing for an English Premiership promotion play-off. There were fears the injury could confine their loan signing to a lengthy layoff.
However, the Hatters manager Rob Edwards provided a positive team update ahead of the trip to Birmingham City.
“Marvelous was starting to tighten up with his groin, but he is available,” said Edwards.
Nakamba is working to regain his best form after spending a rather frustrating season at English Premiership side Aston Villa where he was not given a run the whole first half of the season.
Villa manager Unai Emery was blunt with the Zimbabwean midfielder when he told him he was not in his plans during the January transfer window.
Nakamba has impressed at Luton since his arrival from Villa. His presence in protecting the back-four has helped the Hatters become a more solid defensive unit and the team had not conceded a goal from open play in the last three matches he had started, apart from the penalties conceded in each of the fixtures against Coventry City, Preston North End and Burnley.
The Hatters conceded a penalty just 10 minutes after Nakamba was taken off last Saturday and had to finish with 10 men after their skipper Tom Lockyer was shown a red card straight for protesting the referee’s decision to award Burnley a penalty, which was converted by Ashley Barnes.
This was their first loss in five matches and attention from the manager and players is firmly on getting back to winning ways as soon as possible after dropping to sixth place.
They now face stiff competition for a play-off place as they are just now one rung above the threshold, on goal difference.
They have to finish six to secure a playoff berth for a chance of playing in the English Premier League next season.
Burnley lead the race and are on course for automatic promotion as they have opened an 11-point gap on top of the log standings with 72 points.
After gaining two points from a tricky three-game week, Edwards is hoping the rest has aided the physical and mental recovery for his players as they prepare for another tough challenge in the form of John Eustace’s Birmingham.
“We felt Coventry was a tight game but we probably created more chances to do that,” Edwards said in his pre-match press conference.
“We certainly did against Preston and between the two boxes and in our own box as well has been really, really good.
“We obviously want to try and be a bit more ruthless at the top end of the pitch but the pleasing thing is, and I said it after those games as well, we have created chances and people have been in the right place at the right time which is great.
“It’s not big changes, in terms of that week it has probably been the best week we’ve had in terms of performing consistently. My job as the manager and our job as coaching staff is to try and make sure we’re performing well, we’re motivated, we’re running hard and we are doing all of that.
“We want to try and build on it and if people are in the right place at the right time and we do get the ball in the box, we know we will score and things will turn.”
Online Reporter