By some strange quirk of fate, Luton start their campaign with a home fixture against Burnley, the very team they should have started their Premier League campaign against last season, except the completion of the Bobbers Stand rebuild saw that game postponed.
Last season, the corresponding fixture ended with Burnley winning 2-1 with Elijah Adebayo scoring the Hatters goal.
With so many departures from the club this summer and with our treatment room dealing with a copious amount of injuries, the starting XI selected by Rob Edwards is eagerly anticipated.
Teenage pair Joe Johnson and Zack Nelson are given their first senior league starts by Rob Edwards as the Town kick-off the new season at home to Burnley.Johnson, 18, and Nelson, 19, have both tasted action before – both appearing in the Premier League
– but have yet to start a game in the league, with Johnson starting at Exeter in last season’s League Cup his only previous start.
Reuell Walters also makes his senior debut, and his first in Town colours, while Shandon Baptiste is also in from the start for his Hatters bow.
Seven of the starters started the final game of the Premier League game against Fulham in May.Amari’i Bell is among the substitutes, as are two further academy graduate in the shape of Aiden Francis-Clarke and 16-year-old Christian Chigozie.
Town: Kaminski; Ogbene, Doughty, Walters, Mengi, Johnson; Nelson, Baptiste, Chong; Morris, Adebayo. Shea, Bell, Woodrow, Mpanzu, Taylor, Holmes, Townsend, Francis-Clarke, Chigozie.
Burnley: Trafford, O’Shea, Esteve, Brownhill, Roberts, Foster, Vitinho, Pires, Cullen, Koleosho, Odobert. Hladky, Rodrigeuz, Benson, Twine, Zaroury, Weghorst, McNally, Hountondji, Massengo.Referee: Matthew Donohue
Derby are currently lacking depth at striker, particularly when it comes to having genuine Championship-standard options, and Friday’s 4-2 defeat to Blackburn Rovers was a bit of a wake-up call that further transfer business is needed if they’re to survive in the second tier.
Woodrow is vastly experienced and played in the Premier League just last year, but he’s been less than prolific in recent seasons, so it remains to be seen if he would be a good addition to Paul Warne’s squad.
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