Preview

 

Sports Mole previews Tuesday's pre-season clash between Peterborough United and Luton Town, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Preparations for the 2022-23 season continue on Tuesday, as Peterborough United take on Luton Town in a friendly at London Road.

With four wins from four so far in pre-season, the visitors are building towards another Championship campaign, while Posh will be looking to bounce straight back from relegation.

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Match preview

After starting their build-up for a long, hard League One season with a 3-0 victory over Leyton Orient at their training camp in Portugal, Peterborough have been less impressive since returning to England last week.

Grant McCann's side, who were demoted to the third tier in May, have since drawn with Stevenage and been held by National League club Barnet, as they cope with a long absence list that threatens to hamper their start to competitive action.

Indeed, Posh only scraped a 2-2 draw at the Hive in a 120-minute match on Saturday, so will want to pick up a morale-boosting win on Tuesday, as they look to set up their push for an immediate return to the Championship.

Chairman Darragh MacAnthony has sanctioned several signings to freshen up McCann's squad for the coming campaign - including the loan captures of Lucas Bergstrom and Harvey Cartwright - and most are likely to be involved at London Road.

Peterborough have perhaps taken a gamble in the goalkeeping department, but both Bergstrom (Finland Under-21) and Cartwright (England Under-20) are internationals who measure well over six feet, and the promising pair could share playing time throughout the season.

By contrast with their next opponents, Luton are hoping to build on an impressive 2021-22 campaign in the Championship, which almost defied all expectation and ended with promotion to the Premier League.

Though the Hatters made the playoffs last term, representing their highest league finish since 1992, they eventually lost over two legs to Huddersfield Town in the semi-finals.

As preparations intensify for the opening fixture of the new Championship season, at home to Birmingham later this month, Luton are set to continue their recovery from such disappointment by seeking another warm-up win.

Manager Nathan Jones started his side's build-up with a week-long training camp in Slovenia, followed by a behind-closed-doors win over Gillingham, before tasting victory against League Two opposition for the second time in a week by beating Northampton Town.

Jones - the 2021-22 Championship Manager of the Season - has been busy in the transfer market, making seven summer signings to date. That recruitment drive includes the acquisitions of Barnsley duo Carlton Morris and Cauley Woodrow, which should boost the Hatters' prospects up front.

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Team News

Peterborough went into their weekend game with numerous absentees to concern Grant McCann, and it remains to be seen whether players including Harvey Cartwright, Nathan Thompson, Ronnie Edwards, Oliver Norburn, Kwame Poku and Jack Marriott will feature on Tuesday.

In the first half of their fixture at Barnet, Posh played perhaps their strongest available side, but made wholesale changes after the interval.

After summer signing Hector Kyprianou started the comeback in their 2-2 draw, the Cyprus Under-21 international could now play from the start in midweek, with captain Jonson Clarke-Harris leading the line in attack.

Meanwhile, goals from Elijah Adebayo and Dan Potts secured Luton's fourth consecutive win of pre-season, setting them up nicely for their final two friendlies.

Though Danny Hylton has departed for Northampton, Cameron Jerome netted a brace in the win over Gillingham, and the veteran striker will compete with Adebayo, Carlton Morris and Cauley Woodrow for a start up front.

Peterborough United possible starting lineup:
Bergstrom; Ward, Kent, Knight, Mensah; Fuchs, Taylor, Jones, Ajiboye; Szmodics, Clarke-Harris

Luton Town possible starting lineup:
Horvath; Lockyer, Bradley, Potts; Bree, Lansbury, Freeman, Doughty, Bell; Adebayo, Woodrow

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We say: Peterborough United 1-3 Luton Town

Luton's route through pre-season has run far smoother than their former Championship rivals, and the Hatters can take advantage of their hosts' patchy availability by posting a fifth win on the spin.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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