In Tuesday night’s Championship matchup at Kenilworth Road, Luton Town and Stoke City will both be desperate for three points.

Given their recent record of just two wins in their past nine games and the fact that their return to the second division hasn’t gone as anticipated thus far, the Hatters’ short-term future under manager Rob Edwards seems doubtful.

As they travel further south on Tuesday, Stoke is in a similar situation in terms of form, having lost two straight games to Burnley and Sunderland and having lost none of their last five games.

Both teams obviously need a win to get back on track, as the Potters are currently in 15th place, just two points and three spots above of their hosts.

Championship table (as of 9/12)
Position	Team	Played	GD	Points
14.	Coventry City	19	-2	21
15.	Stoke City	19	-4	21
16.	Derby County	19	-4	20
17.	Preston North End	19	-8	19
18.	Luton Town	19	-13	19
19.	Oxford United	18	-8	18

With that in mind, Football League World have identified the seven players that are set to miss Luton Town vs Stoke City.

Teden Mengi

After it was revealed over the weekend that Teden Mengi had just had surgery for a knee issue, the defender, who has been a mainstay for Luton in both the Premier League and the Championship in recent years, would be greatly missed.

The 22-year-old, who first postponed having surgery on his knee in the summer after suffering the injury in May, is expected to be out for “a number of months” from now, according to manager Edwards. On Saturday, he took to Instagram to explain his decision.

Shandon Baptiste

Like Mengi, Baptiste missed Saturday’s 1-1 draw between Luton and Swansea. Given Edwards’ remarks from the pregame press conference, it seems doubtful that Baptiste will make a comeback so soon for the match against Stoke.

The Hatters had “lost a couple (of players) through the week,” Edwards disclosed before Saturday. He called the injuries “freakish,” which suggests that Baptiste would be sidelined for a long time considering his absence the day after.

Reuell Walters

Summertime signing After breaking his foot after Luton’s 2-0 loss to Sheffield United in October, Reuell Walters, who showed great versatility when he first arrived, hasn’t played in more than two months.

Walters, 19, is expected to miss a “significant amount of time” due to injury, and there is currently no estimated time of return.

Alfie Doughty

Alfie Doughty, a left-wing-back, is still recovering from an ankle injury he sustained during the Hatters’ victory against Cardiff City early last month, so it is unlikely that he will be fit to play against his old employers on Tuesday night.

Since Doughty hasn’t played in any of Luton’s last five games and played 16 times for Stoke between 2021 and 2022, it appears that his old team’s visit has come too soon for him to return just yet.

Reece Burke

After being sent off in Luton’s loss to Leeds United last month, Reece Burke has been sidelined for several weeks due to a quad injury. Burke has sustained numerous injuries throughout his career.

After missing the season’s opening game due to injury, the centre-back missed a few games in October before making a brief comeback for just two games against Leeds and Hull City. It appears like he will be sidelined into midweek.

Liam Walsh

Liam Walsh’s summer transfer from Swansea City to Kenilworth Road hasn’t gone as expected; he’s only made three league appearances when healthy, and he’s missed the previous three games due to a hamstring injury.

The 27-year-old’s exact return date is unknown, but after missing the matchday squad against his old team the previous time around, it appears probable that he will miss out against Stoke.

Ben Pearson

Prior to it being revealed that he will have surgery in the off-season and miss the start of this season, Ben Pearson missed the last eight games of the previous season after missing his last Stoke appearance in March due to a hamstring injury.

Although the 29-year-old has been out of commission ever since and experienced a setback in his recuperation a few months ago, he is reportedly making “positive steps in his rehabilitation,” though it is still unclear when he will be able to return.