Luton Town goal hero issues warning to Leeds United amid defensive injury crisis

Mark McGuinness claims Luton Town are ready for the Championship's "winter slog" as they prepare to travel to leaders Leeds United.

The Hatters, relegated from the Premier League last term, head to Elland Road on Wednesday evening on the back of a pivotal home win over fellow strugglers Hull City. Republic of Ireland international McGuinness registered as the Hatters secured maximum points to ease the pressure on boss Rob Edwards. Victory lifted Town up to 16th, three points above the drop zone, ahead of Wednesday's trip to West Yorkshire.

"This is now where you get the slog, March is the next break for us, so games come thick and fast. It's important we build momentum now and move forward," McGuinness told BBC Three Counties Radio. "We're very much focused on game by game with an important week to come, (starting with) Wednesday night under the lights against a top side - but they're the games we want to win and games we're sure we can win. We'll go there with full confidence."

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Edwards was forced to field a makeshift back four over the weekend. Jamaican international Amari’i Bell dropped out before kick-off with an unspecified injury, having come through two 90 minutes for his country over the international break. With Alfie Doughty and Reuell Walters also sidelined by injury, the Hatters went with four centre halves in a back four. McGuinness and Tom Holmes were at the heart of their rearguard, with the fit-again Reece Burke at right back and Teden Mengi deployed in an unusual left back role.

Shandon Baptiste, Burke and Tom Krauß were subbed off in the second half but Edwards has played down potential injury concerns over the trio. “Shandon was just cramping up and Burkey had been out for a little while and we were asking quite a lot of him as well," he said.

"It was more looking after him and making sure then that he didn't pick up anything as we’re pushing people. They've all come through it, Tom as well, just cramping up and getting tired towards the end. A few bumps and bruises, a bit of cramp and things like that, but I think we caught people at the right time, got them off at the right time. I don’t think that anyone needs to panic too much as we’ve got more but not everyone’s at a point at the moment where they can just go and rattle off 96 minutes.”