Luton Town coach Matt Bloomfield has clarified Marvelous Nakamba’s recent run-out with the U21 side, saying the midfielder is still building towards full fitness.
Nakamba, 30, missed pre-season training with the senior squad, working alone instead, and was also absent from last Friday’s season opener against AFC Wimbledon. His absence sparked speculation over a potential move away from Luton following their relegation from the English Championship.
The Zimbabwean international featured for 45 minutes in the U21s’ friendly against Leyton Orient on Wednesday — his first match action since recovering from a knee injury sustained in November 2023.
“Marv’s working his way back to full fitness,” Bloomfield told reporters. “He’s played for the under-21s, which is good – he’s got 45 minutes under his belt.”
The coach stressed that Nakamba’s training load is being carefully managed:
“He can’t train every day like some of the others because of the knee injury he had a couple of years ago. We’ve had to take it slow with him.”
On the midfielder’s future, Bloomfield acknowledged ongoing uncertainty:
“Like a few others, there’s been a lot of speculation and interest from elsewhere. It’s been a slow pre-season for him