Nathan Jones faces fresh Charlton Athletic headache - Luton Town fans won't be surprised | OneFootball

The Welshman has decisions to make following the Addicks' victory over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Saturday.

Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones has decisions to make following the Addicks' victory over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Saturday.

Charlton have made a positive start to the 2025/26 Championship season, with eight points from their opening six league games, and it could be argued that they deserved more than just one point to show for their performances at home against Leicester City and Millwall.

There is no doubt that the Addicks will need to start taking advantage of the positions they are getting into in the final third if they are going to be successful this term, as despite ranking in the top half of second tier sides when it comes to touches in the opposition box and shots on target per match, as per FotMob, they are in the top ten for big chances missed and only Sheffield United have scored fewer goals.

However, their defensive structure was a key factor in their promotion from League One last season, and it could be just as important this term as they look to establish themselves at the level above — no Championship side has kept more clean sheets than the Addicks during the early stages of the season.

Nathan Jones had started with the same defensive players for each of Charlton's league games prior to their trip to Bramall Lane, but after James Bree and Reece Burke contributed to a clean sheet and three points in South Yorkshire on their full debuts, the Welshman has big decisions to make ahead of the visit of Blackburn Rovers this weekend.

James Bree and Reece Burke impressed for Charlton Athletic at Bramall Lane

Summer signings James Bree and Reece Burke were both handed their full Charlton debuts at Bramall Lane, as Nathan Jones opted for a slightly more defensive alternative to Rob Apter and replaced the suspended Kayne Ramsay, who was sent off against Millwall the previous weekend.

Bree and Burke have made 39 Premier League appearances between them for Southampton and Luton Town, respectively, since 2023, and their quality was evident as the Addicks recorded a 1-0 win against Chris Wilder's men.

Burke looked comfortable alongside the imperious Lloyd Jones and fellow ex-Luton defender Amari'i Bell in the Addicks' back line, while Bree made the most of his license to venture forward as a right wing-back by providing an excellent assist for Tanto Olaofe's last-minute winning goal.

Bree, who is on loan from Southampton until January, was voted Player of the Match by Charlton supporters on X.

Nathan Jones now has a few difficult decisions to make ahead of the visit of Blackburn Rovers to The Valley on Saturday, as Kayne Ramsay has been outstanding since he arrived at the club and Rob Apter has been one of the Addicks brightest attacking sparks so far this season.

Miles Leaburn, Tanto Olaofe and Harvey Knibbs will also no doubt be desperate for an opportunity to start after they made an impact off the bench in South Yorkshire, so Jones has plenty to think about this week with his squad seemingly in a very good place.

James Bree and Reece Burke impact will be no surprise to Luton Town fans

Charlton had a number of former Luton players in their starting lineup on Saturday, with Thomas Kaminski, Reece Burke, Lloyd Jones, Amari'i Bell and James Bree all included from the off at Bramall Lane.

Supporters of the Hatters are unlikely to be shocked by the fact that Bree and Burke have given Jones a selection headache with their performances, as both players regularly showed what they are capable of at Kenilworth Road.

Jones signed Bree from Luton in a deal worth £750,000 when he was Southampton boss, so it is clear that the Welshman is a big fan of the 27-year-old.

It will be interesting to see if Jones decides to keep his side the same for the visit of Blackburn, or whether Apter and Ramsay will come back into the team for a game in which the Addicks are less likely to be content sitting in their own defensive third and relying on counter-attacks.