Morgan-Smith will miss out

Influential midfielder Keith Keane also remains a doubt as Luton look to secure a much-needed victory to keep pace with the Blue Square Bet Premier’s top teams.

Town chief Gary Brabin said: “Certainly Amari still won’t be ready. That will be for sure. It’s a bit of back/hamstring injury which are both connected.

“Keith, we will see how that goes this week. It’s too early in the week to assess that and we are just concentrating on the group who are fit at the moment and working hard with the ones who aren’t to try to get them up to speed.

“Keane’s problem is in his buttocks. At the moment it’s still far too early to say.”

And despite the struggling Exiles sitting third from bottom, Brabin believes it won’t be an easy task in south Wales.

But he knows his team must start rising to the challenge if they are to win promotion, saying: “It’s something if we are going to be a good team and going to be good players we’ve got to go anywhere and we’ve got to rise above all the excuses.

“We’ve got to show what a good bunch of players and good team we are. I want competition. That’s what I want, people banging on the door to play. That’s healthy for the club and that’s the situation we should be having.”

A number of players laid claim to a starting place for Saturday as a massively strong reserve team triumphed at Stevenage 4-1 on Tuesday afternoon. On-loan Stoke man Ryan Brunt particularly impressive as he netted a hat-trick.

The likes of Shane Blackett, Dean Beckwith, Will Antwi, Dan Glesson, Robbie Willmott, Danny Crow, Adam Watkins and John Paul Kissock also played, and Brabin added: “One of the things we are trying to do is do things properly and we have some good young players.

“It’s nice to see what we are capable of. I know it’s only a reserve team game but I thought they were quite strong opposition but it was a good workout for us.

“I keep saying it’s important we get all the players fit. I can certainly see an improvement in everybody and people coming back from injury getting fitter and stronger.

“I think it bodes well from now on until the end of the season.”