Luton Town Boss Desperate To Dodge FA Cup Disaster

Luton Town manager Jack Wilshere has warned his side that Forest Green Rovers will have every intention of pulling off a shock when the two sides meet in the FA Cup first round tomorrow night.

The 33-year-old landed his first permanent managerial role earlier this month when he was named as Matt Bloomfield’s successor at Kenilworth Road. The former Arsenal and England midfielder had been linked with a number of roles over the past few months after he took interim charge at Norwich City at the end of last season.

Wilshere was given a wake up call in his first game when he watched his side lost 2-0 at home to Mansfield Town. However, he recovered quickly to beat Northampton Town by a solitary goal last weekend before a comfortable victory over Brighton & Hove Albion under-21s on Tuesday.

Wilshere Relishing First FA Cup Tie

After suffering back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to League One, this is the first time that Luton have taken part in the FA Cup first round since 2018. After being drawn against Robbie Savage’s Forest Green Rovers, this was a tie that was always destined to be moved for television coverage. Therefore, it was no surprise when TNT Sports announced it would be showcasing the fixture.

 

Jack Wilshere’s Luton Town will face Robbie Savage’s Forest Green Rovers in the first round of the FA Cup proper 👀 pic.twitter.com/Gp5hBhls0k

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 13, 2025

Rovers are currently plying their trade in the National League, where former pundit Savage replaced Steve Cotterill in the summer. He has his team lying fifth in the fifth tier and ended a 4-game winless run last weekend with a 2-1 victory over Boreham Wood.

Speaking ahead of the tie, Wilshere knows that the ex-Wales international will be gunning for an upset and has revealed that he has done his homework to avoid such a feat:

“For them, it’s a chance to show they can play at a higher level but the difference can be is the intensity.

“If we give them time and space they can hurt you, so you have to match their energy and when they get the ball we need to kill their spirit.

“I’ve watched three Forest Green games this week, and I said to the lads, if anyone knows Robbie, you will know his team will represent him as a player.”

Luton Given Injury Boost

The Hatters have suffered their fair share of injury problems this season, but they slowly seem to be easing. One player who has been on the treatment table long-term is striker Ali Al-Hamadi, who joined on a season-long loan from Ipswich Town at the end of the transfer window.

 

A good night at the office 👍 pic.twitter.com/FO5gvZQiPY

— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) October 29, 2025

The 23-year-old is yet to feature for his new club, whose deal includes an obligation to buy. The striker had struggled to nail down a regular starting berth at the Tractor Boys since signing from AFC Wimbledon in January 2024 and opted to drop down into League One in order to revitalise his career.

It appears as if he is edging closer to a first outing, with Wilshere revealing that he will have a conversation with the medical team ahead of the clash:

“I’ll have a conversation with the medical team to see how far away he is.

“It’s good to have players returning, giving back more competition and quality because we’ll need everyone between now and the end of the season.”

Tomorrow night’s clash is set to kick off at 7:30pm and will be shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+.