Elijah Adebayo issues exciting Luton Town update after ACL injury - League One is about to be put on notice | OneFootball

The frontman has been absent since April

Luton Town's frontline is about to be boosted substantially, as Elijah Adebayo is coming towards the end of his lengthy period on the sidelines.

The 27-year-old has been out of action since he suffered an ACL injury towards the end of last season, in a 1-1 draw with Leeds United last April, but has revealed that it "won't be too long" until he makes his return.

Adebayo told Luton Today that "it won't be as long as you'd think," and with the initial target for a return being the new year, perhaps it's a case of weeks, rather than months, until the striker makes his return.

The 27-year-old had a breakout year in the Premier League two seasons ago, but like the majority of the Luton squad last season, he endured a tough return to Championship football. Adebayo played in 39 of the Hatters' 40 games before his injury, but only scored five times in a campaign which saw the marksman miss a flurry of goalscoring opportunities.

Despite this, though, there's still plenty of anticipation that he can hit the ground running once more and recapture the form he showed before last season, this time in League One.

Elijah Adebayo is ready to take League One by storm at Luton Town

Adebayo has yet to actually make his bow in the third tier, after impressing in League Two with Walsall enough to make Nathan Jones bring him straight to the Championship in January 2021. Over the last four years, he's scored 47 goals in 182 games.

His best scoring season came in his first full one at Kenilworth Road, netting 16 times in 40 Championship games, and whilst he didn't make a massive impact in the Hatters' promotion campaign to the Premier League the year after, he still contributed eight goals to help Luton reach the top flight under Rob Edwards.

In the Premier League, Adebayo established himself as a goalscoring threat against some of the best defences in the country, scoring 10 times, including a memorable hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion.

That top-flight campaign is remembered fondly, but everything that has happened since has been quite disastrous.

The Luton side, who had the same manager and most of the same players who helped them to promotion in the first place, were failing to pick up points, and despite a surge in results late in the campaign, succumbed to a second straight relegation.

Adebayo may have only managed five goals that season, but there can't be much looking into that, especially given that, this season, manager Rob Edwards and strike partner Carlton Morris have seemingly gotten back to their best, albeit with the forward now at Derby County, so perhaps the 27-year-old can too?

The one difference between them, of course, is that Adebayo is still at Luton, whilst the others have enjoyed success elsewhere.

However, the mood around Kenilworth Road under Jack Wilshere seems quite positive, and the striker's return will only serve to better that. If he can ride that momentum, he'll be back to his goalscoring ways in no time.

Elijah Adebayo's return will give Luton Town a massive boost at the top end of the pitch

Despite a few instances where Luton have conceded heavily, the Hatters have been one of the better defensive sides in League One this season, keeping the most clean sheets in the third tier.

And whilst scoring goals at the other end hasn't been a huge issue for Luton under both Matt Bloomfield and Jack Wilshere — their total goals scored is well on league average — there hasn't been a focal point where all the goals have come from.

Having goals spread out across the squad is generally a good thing, but there often needs to be a main man who nets around eight to ten more than anyone else. Their fellow promotion challengers have that, but the likes of Jerry Yates or Nahki Wells haven't properly taken on the scoring mantle thus far.

So, Luton needs a dominant focal point up front, and six-foot-four Adebayo could be exactly what Jack Wilshere requires to climb further up the table and establish his side nearer the top two.

If the 27-year-old can leave the 2024/25 campaign behind him, as many associated with Luton have, and continue from his Premier League exploits, the Hatters could have themselves a big asset for the second half of the season.