Luton Town manager Rob Edwards has conceded that Lagos-born player Fred Onyedinma was played out of position during his Premier League debut against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.
Prior to the match in London, Onyedinma had not featured for the Hatters since their Championship playoff final victory against Coventry City on May 27. Initially set to spend the season on loan at Rotherham United, he was recalled from his loan spell at the Millers due to a loss of form after recovering from injury.
While Onyedinma is primarily a winger, he has the versatility to play as a flank midfielder if required. However, Luton Town currently faces an injury crisis, with Lagos-born Republic of Ireland international Chiedozie Ogbene, 2024 Super Eagles invitee Gabriel Osho, and Super Eagles hopeful Elijah Adebayo among the players sidelined.
The Hatters’ injury woes persisted during the match against Tottenham, with Reece Burke, Tahith Chong, and Alfie Doughty all forced off the pitch due to injuries. As a result, Onyedinma was tasked with filling in for the injured Doughty at left-back, despite his natural position as a winger.
Reflecting on the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, Edwards remarked in an interview with Luton Town’s official website, “I look at how we finished the game with that back four of Freddy, that’s his first taste of football for us who is a winger at left-back and two right-backs on the pitch and one centre-back. It’s difficult against a team of that caliber. Of course, it becomes a big challenge.”
Luton Town faces another challenging fixture in north London on Wednesday, as they take on Premier League title contenders Arsenal.