UPDATED: Still hopeful over McNulty and other concerns

Injury forced him off before half time in Monday’s 2-1 home defeat to Kidderminster Harriers and, although he hasn’t trained this week, Still is hopeful he will be available.

Alex Lawless has recovered from a hamstring injury but it likely to be ruled out through illness, but could figure when Lincoln City visit Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night.

Defender Simon Ainge and winger Jake Howells are also both nursing knocks, but still is confident stand a chance of featuring.

On McNulty, Still said: “He’s responded quite well, he hasn’t trained yet, he’ll probably train tomorrow. We’re hoping that he’ll be OK.

“It wasn’t a major problem which is why he felt he could certainly start the game. I think he’ll be OK on Saturday.”

There are also a number of other minor knocks, but Still was largely unconcerned.

“We had Simon Ainge who was a little bit of a problem,” he said. “He hasn’t trained this week but he should train tomorrow. That hopefully should be OK.

“I think everything else will be OK. We have bumps and bruises without anything being too terrible.

“I don’t think there’s anything too terrible, Jake Howells is a little bit he might / he might not, but nothing that we are going to sit here and panic about.”

Lawless is also back in training after being troubled by a hamstring problem, but illness may instead be a problem.

Still continued: “He’s fit but he’s ill. He didn’t train today but we’re hoping he’ll train tomorrow. We wouldn’t include him tomorrow, but we may well include him on Tuesday.”

Luton won a development game on Tuesday where a number of their promising youngsters figured, and Still hinted some of them might be given their chance before the end of the season.

He said: “I think so, I’m not sure I’ll do that this week. But one or two of the young boys I thought done OK and I wouldn’t ignore the fact that they could play a little bit of what we’ve got left, although that will probably come in the Saturday/Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday situation that’s going to come up.”

Nomadic Gateshead have had to play their end of season ‘home’ games at a wide range of different locations, including Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium, Burton Albion’s Pirelli Stadium and Hartlepool’s Victoria Park, after the pitch at their International Stadium home was made unplayable by the wet and freezing weather.

And on Saturday they will be ‘hosting’ the Hatters at Carlisle’s Brunton Park ground as Town and their supporters face at least a nine-hour round-trip to Cumbria where Luton are likely to play in front of one of the smallest crowds in their history.

But Still was confident it wouldn’t affect them, adding: “I’ll let you know after, I don’t think so. I think that it’s a decent ground, a Football League ground and that in itself should bring something to the party. I wouldn’t expect that to happen.”