Luton Town coach Rob Edwards has admitted that midfielder Marvelous Nakamba is struggling to regain his place in the starting XI after an eight-month injury layoff.

Nakamba, who underwent knee surgery, made his return to action this month with a starting appearance in the Carabao Cup defeat to QPR. However, he was benched in the subsequent English Championship game against the same side.

Edwards revealed that Nakamba’s progress is hindered by the need to manage his body, limiting his training sessions. “He won’t be able to train necessarily as much as he or us would want him to all the time,” Edwards said.

The coach emphasized the importance of finding a balance between Nakamba’s fitness and game time. “It’s almost a little bit of a new normal for him… We’ve got to make sure we find that for the foreseeable until we’re confident then that he’s fully there.”

Despite the challenges, Edwards remains optimistic about Nakamba’s potential, citing his ability to improve with game time. “Marv is someone who gets better with game time and playing… He’s proved that to us in the past.”

Nakamba’s journey back to full fitness will be closely monitored over the coming weeks and months.