Online Reporter
LUTON midfielder Marvelous Nakamba is beginning the process of working his way back to full fitness after an uncertain future at Kenilworth Road led to what manager Matt Bloomfield described as a “slow” pre-season for the Zimbabwean international.
The 31-year-old returned to the Brache with the rest of his teammates over a month ago, but hadn’t featured in any of the Hatters’ friendly contests due to interest from elsewhere for the former Aston Villa and Club Brugge midfielder.
However, with nothing doing so far, Nakamba then got his opportunity to play 45 minutes for the Under-21s against Leyton Orient on Wednesday, Town winning 2-1 thanks to goals from Josh Phillips and Lasse Nordas. Discussing the reasons behind his lack of action so far, Bloomfield said: “He’s not recovering, it’s just been a slow pre-season for Marv. Like a few others, there’s been a lot of speculation and interest in him from elsewhere, so it’s been a slow pre-season from him. Marv’s working his way back to full fitness, he’s played for the Under-21s, which is good, he’s got 45 minutes under his belt, so that’s the situation on Marv.
He’ll be considered like anybody else, but he’s just a little bit away from his full fitness right now.”
A serious knee injury suffered while Luton were in the top flight has hindered Nakamba from reaching the heights he had done during his first stint with the club, as when Bloomfield initially took over in January, he was one of the new manager’s regular starters, beginning six of his first eight matches until picking up a calf injury in the 2-0 defeat at Watford on February 23.
From there he only featured once more, that coming in the final moments of a crucial 1-0 win at Derby County in one of the final fixtures of the season as the Hatters were eventually relegated from the Championship.
It continued the midfielder’s frustrating time in Bedfordshire as after playing such a starring role when signing on loan in January 2023, making 20 appearances as Town won promotion to the English Premier League, since joining permanently in July 2023, he has only managed 37 outings in total.
Nakamba’s injury issues are still something that is affecting him now, with Bloomfield adding: “He can’t train every day of the week like some of our others because he had a knee injury a couple of years ago. So we’ve had to take it slow with him, but he’s got 45 minutes under his belt today (Wednesday) and he’ll be available as and when he’s at full fitness.” — lutontoday.co.uk/Sports Reporter.
