Industrial action delaying Thomas’ Town debut

Recent signing Wayne Thomas could miss Saturday’s FA Cup fifth round tie with Millwall due to industrial action in Greece, writes Mike Simmonds.

The 33-year-old defender moved to Luton last Monday, but has been forced to sit out games against Forest Green Rovers and Dartford while he waits for his international clearance to arrive.

Speaking yesterday, he said: “I’m getting updated every day and am still waiting.

“There’s a strike going on with the Football Federation and the equivalent of the Greek FA regarding players contracts.

“Unfortunately with that strike, it’s the people I need to push my international clearance through and hopefully as soon as they’re back, my transfer will go from pending to done.

“There’s no definitive answer on that. Hopefully it will be done on Friday. I’ve got until half past two on Saturday as I’m registered with the club now, I’m just waiting for pending to be changed to done which is a button to be pressed in Greece.

“It’s frustrating as if I had signed two days earlier, it would have cleared already.”

Manager Paul Buckle is desperate to be able to include Thomas, who was once signed for £1m earlier in his career as he is short of options at the back.

Steve McNulty is cup-tied, while Lathaniel Rowe-Turner is suspsnded, and Alex Lacey is out on loan, leaving Janos Kovacs as the only recognised centre half available.

He said: “It’s not helped at all. We bought Wayne in to strengthen us.

“Wayne’s pedigree speaks for itself, he’s a leader, has had a fantastic career and we’ve brought him into help the boys we’ve got.

“It’s disappointing he can’t be involved at the moment, as his experience is invaluable to us.

“We’re pushing that forward as quick as we can, but it’s a bit of a waiting game at the moment, although him heing in and around the place is still very helpful.”

Although a tough start to his Town career, Thomas is settling in well with Town as he continued: “It’s difficult when the manager and coach don’t know if it’s coming through or not coming through, so I’m just interchanging with the centre halves so everyone gets the feeling of how it will work, but it’s very frustrating.

“The lads have been brilliant though, they’re a great bunch here.”

On the Millwall FA Cup tie, Thomas added: “It’s a little bit of a rest from the pressure of the league.

“The fans will get 100 per cent behind the Luton players as they usually do. It will be nice to not have the expectation of being out and out winners, so it should be a good respite for the lads.”

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