Luton Town midfielder Shandon Baptiste could make his first senior appearance in almost 15 months against Peterborough United as Jack Wilshere carefully manages his return from injury.

The 28-year-old was back on the bench for Saturday’s 2-0 FA Cup victory over Forest Green Rovers, although his wait for competitive first-team minutes continued.

Peterborough fixture offers possible comeback

Baptiste is set for another outing with the under-21s against Southend United on Tuesday afternoon, having played the opening 45 minutes of last week’s 4-2 win over MK Dons. Another week of training could then put him in contention for the Trophy meeting with Peterborough next Tuesday.

The former Brentford and Oxford United midfielder last featured for Luton’s first team in a 1-0 home defeat against Cardiff City before suffering a serious ACL injury in training. His inclusion against Forest Green represented progress, but Wilshere explained to Luton Today that discussions with the medical team had shaped the decision to keep him on the bench.

“We’ve had conversations about that all week with the medical team and I say he’s not ready, he could have played five or 10 minutes at the end, of course he could, because he’s trained for a while now, but he’s one that we have to get right, as he’s been out for a long time.

“That’s also a big step for him, just being on the bench, being back. I know how that feels when you’ve been out for so long and he’ll get a lot of confidence from that.”

The plan gives Baptiste more time to build up his match fitness before returning to senior football. His appearance on the teamsheet was still a significant milestone after such a lengthy spell away.

Wilshere keeps academy pathway open

Youth-team forward Dawid Gawel was another unused substitute against Forest Green, having scored his first senior goal in September’s 6-0 Trophy victory over Ipswich Town Under-21s. Nahki Wells was preferred for the closing stages on Saturday, coming on for Emilio Lawrence with five minutes remaining.

Gawel also has an FA Youth Cup tie against Gillingham on Tuesday, a fixture Wilshere said had been considered when managing his involvement. However, the manager wants the youngster to continue gaining experience around the senior squad alongside his work with the academy.

“Sometimes he trains with us, sometimes he trains with the 21s, he’s got a big Youth Cup game on Tuesday here (against Gillingham), so we were conscious of that, but we wanted to get him around it.”

Wilshere pointed to his experience coaching Arsenal’s under-18s and Luton’s own record of developing players when explaining that approach. Gawel’s opportunities to train with the first team and join matchday squads are intended to support that progression.

Baptiste’s progress is welcome news for Luton, with the midfielder moving closer to a senior return after almost 15 months on the sidelines. His involvement against Forest Green and return to under-21 football are encouraging steps, even if Wilshere is understandably taking care over his comeback.

Getting Baptiste back on the pitch would give the manager another midfield option and mark a significant milestone for a player who has endured a lengthy recovery.