Striker Nicky Forster and midfielder Gavin Williams are both expected to miss Saturday's home game with Luton Town (KO 1pm). Boss Joe Royle has named a 19-man squad for the Hatters' first visit to Portman Road in 10 years.

Forster is close to being ruled out due to the knee injury he sustained at Hull on Wednesday night. The knee is still swollen and Town are all but resigned to the former Reading man missing out.

Williams was on the end of a number of heavy challenges at the KC Stadium and has both ankle and knee problems. The Welshman, currently mulling over a permanent contract with the Blues, is considered more likely to make it than Forster but is still extremely doubtful.

Royle says he is virtually reconciled to being without the duo: "Fozzie is almost certainly out of the Luton game and has only a slim chance of being fit for Monday's match against Stoke.

"Gavin is also a major doubt for us and it looks very unlikely that he will make it for Saturday."

Town will also start without Lewis Price who is likely to take a place on the bench due to his groin injury. Shane Supple will continue to deputise.

Royle's major decision ahead of the game concerns his lack of strikers with Forster likely to join Sam Parkin (ankle), Adam Proudlock (knee but back in training), Billy Clarke (elbow) and Darryl Knights (ankle) on the sidelines.

The Blues are loath to move Richard Naylor up front but the lack of available options has seen the linchpin defender pushed forward on a number of occasions of late. The 28-year-old started the recent Cardiff game as a striker and may well be utilised in his former position from the start once more, with Fabian Wilnis switching to centre-half and Matt Richards playing at left-back.

Town's other available striking options are Dean McDonald, back from his loan spell with Hartlepool, Danny Haynes, who played 77 minutes as a sub at Hull, and the out-of-favour Dean Bowditch.

Haynes looks to be the most favoured of the three at present and is the only one with a Town goal to his name this season, although McDonald netted his first in senior football while with Pools. Royle will have to decide whether to stick with the widely panned 4-5-1 formation he has used in recent home matches or utilise two strikers.

Even without Williams and Kevin Horlock, back in training after his knee injury but not ready for first team involvement, Royle has several options in midfield. Skipper Jim Magilton may be rested after playing 81 minutes at Cardiff with Owen Garvan a likely replacement.

Ian Westlake looks set to continue on the left with Darren Currie on the right and Jimmy Juan in the centre. At the back, Jason De Vos and Sito will keep their places at centre-half and right-back respectively.

Luton manager Mike Newell has a couple of injury problems with midfielder Peter Holmes joining defender Sol Davis on the sidelines with a knee injury.

Newell says he will recall former Colchester United loanee Rowan Vine: "We rested Rowan Vine with the Ipswich game in mind, but to be fair to Warren [Feeney, whose grandfather Jimmy played for the Blues between 1950 and 1955], he's been champing at the bit since he's been out.

"It's a toss of a coin between the four lads [Vine, Feeney, Steve Howard and Enoch Showunmi] we've got up front to be honest. They're all in form and playing well and that's what you want."

Saturday's referee is Andy D'Urso, one of Portman Road's least favourite officials. So far this season D'Urso has shown 65 yellow and seven red cards in 17 games. D'Urso was in Suffolk earlier in the season for the 1-0 defeat to Watford.

Squad: Barron, Bowditch, Currie, De Vos, Forster, Garvan, Haynes, Juan, Magilton, McDonald, Naylor, Peters, Price, Richards, Sito, Supple, Westlake, Williams, Wilnis.

Photo: Action Images

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