Luton Town centre-back Teden Mengi made a welcome return to the Hatters’ lineup during Friday evening’s 2-2 pre-season friendly draw against Dundee United.
The 22-year-old was a standout player in Luton’s debut Premier League season last year, making 30 appearances and earning his first England U21 cap. He was also named the Bobbers Travel Away Player of the Season. Mengi started Luton’s pre-season campaign by playing against Danish Superliga team AGF but then surprisingly missed the team’s two matches in Slovenia, sparking rumors of a potential transfer, with French club Nice among the interested parties.
Despite the speculation, Mengi featured prominently against Dundee United, playing 76 minutes before being substituted for Aidan Francis-Clarke. He was part of a defense that included Tom Holmes and Joe Johnson at Tannadice.
Luton boss Rob Edwards, dealing with injuries to Mads Andersen, Reece Burke, Amari’i Bell, and Daiki Hashioka, explained Mengi’s absence from previous matches: “T was just feeling one or two bits. It was important to rest him; we can’t afford more injuries.”
Forward Carlton Morris, who had scored three goals in three pre-season games before missing the 3-2 defeat to Turkish side Goztepe, also didn’t play against Dundee United. Edwards clarified that Morris’s absence was precautionary and assured that he would be ready for the season opener against Burnley on Monday, August 12: “It was important we look after people, and Carlton’s the same. Carlton’s good, he’s in a good place. He’s out on the grass and doing work. He will be fit for the next game next week, so we’ll see Carlton back on the pitch against Celta Vigo.”
Edwards acknowledged the challenges of managing the squad with several key players out: “We’re having to manage one or two people, and because we’ve got people out, there’s been a bit of a domino effect. We’re asking more of other people, which is pushing them more than we would like to in pre-season. It’s been tough to juggle that around, and we’ve not wanted to take any unnecessary risks with some key players.”