Town boss Rob Edwards couldn’t conceal his frustration after Japanese international Daiki Hashioka sustained a calf injury during today’s 1-0 pre-season friendly victory over Ukrainian Premier League side FC Rukh Lviv in Slovenia.

The 25-year-old, who joined the Hatters from Belgian top-flight club Sint-Truiden for around £2 million in January, struggled with the pace of the Premier League last season. However, with Issa Kabore returning to Manchester City following his loan spell, Hashioka was poised to compete seriously for the right wingback position as Luton returns to the Championship. After playing the second half against AGF on Saturday, Hashioka started today’s match but had to leave the field after 40 minutes due to injury, with young defender Aidan Francis-Clarke coming on in his place.

Speaking to the club’s official website, a clearly disappointed Edwards, whose squad was plagued by injuries last season, including long-term absences for Dan Potts and Jordan Clark during the pre-season, commented: “He was about to sprint, turn and sprint, but it looks like he’s tweaked his calf. We’ll have to see how he reacts in the next couple of days and determine the extent of the injury, but it’s frustrating. It was a good day overall, but I’m a bit frustrated because of Hashi’s situation.”

Hashioka’s injury wasn’t the only concern for Edwards. Midfielder Tahith Chong, who was a standout in the latter half of last season, also had to leave the field after a collision just before the hour mark. He was replaced by Chiedozie Ogbene. However, Edwards quickly reassured supporters, saying: “He’s all right, thank goodness. It was an impact injury. The medical team responded quickly, managed him, and wanted to ensure he was fine. He’s okay; it was just a few bangs and bruises in the end.”