Injuries mount up after Luton reach Trophy semis

Luton Town boss Jack Wilshere said he is waiting to find out the cost of reaching the Vertu Trophy semi-finals after three players were injured during their 2-1 home win over Plymouth Argyle.

Teden Mengi went off after going down near the touchline and fellow defender Mads Andersen and forward Gideon Kodua both picked up knocks.

"We'll have to wait and see [with Teden]," Wilshere told BBC Three Counties Radio. "When you pull up like that you fear the worst, but hopefully it's not as bad as we think and he'll be OK.

"Mads was an impact [injury], Gids was an impact [injury], but they had to be changed, and credit to the players coming in, because they took on the information and delivered it."

Luton's reward is a home semi-final against Northampton Town next Wednesday, but before that they face a trip to League One's bottom club Port Vale on Saturday.

Although promotion is a priority, Wilshere said changes of personnel for the Trophy - which they were reinstated in after Swindon Town fielded two ineligible players in their last-16 meeting - did not mean they "didn't care about it".

"We prepared in the same way every single time, like we would for a league game, to try and give the players the best opportunity," he said.

"Why we changed was [because] we had a lot of players in the squad and they deserved to play. They were working hard and you need to give them something to hold on to to inspire them, and they delivered in the competition as well.

"In January we lost a lot of players out of the squad, and what we have left have to go on and compete in it."