Cauley Woodrow will be unavailable for Luton Town ahead of their play-off final this weekend against Coventry City.
Rob Edwards has confirmed that the forward will be absent, having been out of the team for some time through injury.
Woodrow’s last appearance for the side came in a 1-1 draw with Reading in April, having missed the team’s last five games.
The Hatters are one game away from the Premier League, but will be without the 28-year-old on Saturday.
How big of a blow will Cauley Woodrow’s absence be for Luton Town?
Carlton Palmer believes Woodrow’s absence will be a big blow for Edwards’ side as they aim for a place in the top flight for the first time in over 30 years.
The former midfielder has praised the impact the Englishman has had on the Hatters this campaign.
However, he has highlighted the importance of Carlton Morris and Elijah Adebayo to the side.
The 57-year-old has claimed that the attacking duo could now be the key men in deciding whether Luton gain promotion over Coventry.
“Cauley Woodrow is set to miss the play-off final for Luton Town,” Palmer told Football League World.
“He’ll be a big miss for them, but has not played since April with the knee injury.
“He’ll be a big miss, the big centre forward, they’ve relied on him a lot.
“As I say, he’s been out injured for a long while.
“Luton have Carlton Morris, who scored 20 goals, and Elijah Adebayo fit so though they’ll miss [Woodrow], they have other options available to them.”
The play-off final will take place on Saturday at Wembley Stadium with a 16.45 kick-off time.
Who will win the Championship play-off final?
This will be a big occasion for the big players on either side to leave their mark.
It is an amazing opportunity for both clubs to earn their place in the Premier League, so a hotly contested match is expected.
The absence of Woodrow is a blow given how important he’s been to the team, but Luton didn’t need him to get past Sunderland so should take some confidence in that.
The key Coventry players are Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer, so keeping them quiet may prove the formula for success for Luton in Saturday’s final.
Luton are perhaps the slight favourites given their better record in the league but, in a one-off game, it is very hard to split the two.
