UPDATED: Options galore for Still ahead of Woking FA Cup tie

Hatters boss John Still has almost an entirely clean bill of health ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup fourth qualifying trip to Woking, writes Mark Wood.
Woking v Luton Town. Photos by  Liam Smith. wk 39.Woking v Luton Town. Photos by  Liam Smith. wk 39.
Woking v Luton Town. Photos by Liam Smith. wk 39.

Long-term absentee Danny Fitzimsons remains sidelined, while experienced duo Alex Lawless and Jon Shaw are still struggling in their returns from injury.

However, powerful striker Alex Wall is fit though, although Still looks unlikely to make any changes from the team that won 4-3 in a topsy-turvy game at Tamworth last weekend.

Still said: “I think we’re much as we were. Alex Wall is back in training, until his next injury...

“He’s back in training. Alex Lawless is coming on fine, he’s not quite ready, he’s just picked up a little niggle, nothing much.

“I keep trying to push him back and maybe I just need to give him a touch more time.

“Anthony Charles is back in training and played in the development game.

“I think everyone else, except the obvious ones, which are Danny Fitzsimons and Jon Shaw, the people that have been out a little while, but other than that we are all right.

“He’s (Shaw) training without training full out. When you’ve had operations and you come back, you tend to have some niggles.

“Alex Lawless is coming back and feeling good and pushes himself a touch too much. It’s not the injury, the original injury, it’s something else, a bit tight here, a bit sore there.

“Fortunately we are in a position where we don’t have to rush, rush, rush. The people that are rushing are the players themselves.

“We are trying to keep the reins on them a little bit, but players want to get back to playing and maybe they’ve just got to take their foot off the pedal a little bit.”

Still hasn’t ruled out making changes for the encounter, but is set to name a very strong side after consulting with the rest of his coaching staff.

He continued: “With my hand on my heart, I’ve only thought about it, but I’ve not thought about it in depth, which I will do tomorrow.

“I’ll have a chat with the staff, today and tonight and, before I come into work tomorrow, I’ll know roughly what I want to do.

“But I’m going to digest training today and decide really later on today, or in the morning, what we feel the ideal thing for us is to do.

“I will pick a side that I think can win the game, absolutely. I don’t think it’s a game for trying someone out.

“I don’t think it’s a game to see how someone does, if I pick it, it’s going to be based on what I know, not what I hope might happen because I think it’s the right thing to do.

Still will be treating the game as importantly as a league game though, as he continued: “As far as I’m concerned it’s the same difference for me.

“It’s a game, a game we want to try and win. People try and list things in importance and I understand that.

“How important is it to get promotion? How important is it to go as far as we can in the FA Cup? How important and how far in the FA Trophy?

“If you asked the list of people, a lot would probably say league, some would go with the league and the FA Cup, and some would say it would be good to get to Wembley with the FA Trophy.

“It’s a game and I want to win. It doesn’t matter to me. It’s a game I want to win and as far as I’m concerned there’s no change.”

But with seven substitutes available on the bench he will have plenty of options at his disposal on the day.

Still said: “Seven subs, so it gives us a couple of people that we can put on the bench that we wouldn’t normally, absolutely.”

On-loan Luton striker Scott Rendell though, will not be allowed to play by his parent club as part of the agreement between the two sides.

The Town chief is adamant he won’t endanger progression in the competition with his team selection and is hopeful his side can emulate Luton’s success in the competition last season.

The Hatters made it all the way through to the fifth round, beating Championship big boys Wolverhampton Wanderers and Premier League Norwich City along the way, before finally being tamed by Millwall.

Still added: “When it comes to cups I don’t care who we play. Home, away, whoever. If you’re name is on the cup, your name’s on it to have a good run, you’ll have a good run.

“And if your name isn’t on it, that’s how I look at cups, if it’s your time it’s your time.

“It was Luton’s time last year and I hope it’s Luton’s time again this time, but one thing’s for sure, whether we were playing Woking and whether we progress and play Arsenal or Man United, I’ve got to think in my mind we’re going to go there and try and win this and that’s my attitude to the games.

“It doesn’t matter the competition, it doesn’t matter anything, I would never pick a team thinking we might get beat, but it’s good experience for people.

“I want to win, because good experience is winning, winning’s good experience for people and I want to win.

“I want to go there and I want to win and I want to entertain and for it to be good and do the best we can.

“That doesn’t mean to say I’m not going to have a little tinker but I wouldn’t tinker thinking to myself I’m not really sure about this.

“I would only tinker if I think I am sure about it.”

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