Soccer Football - FA Cup - Third Round - Luton Town v Bolton Wanderers - Kenilworth Road, Luton, Britain - January 7, 2024 Luton Town manager Rob Edwards applauds fans after the match Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra/File Photo
LONDON (Reuters) - Luton Town have the chance to climb out of the Premier League's relegation zone when they travel to Burnley in a match of huge importance for both sides in their fight for survival on Friday.
It is the sort of clash that tests the nerve of managers at the wrong end of the table, but Luton's Rob Edwards is managing to remain relatively relaxed despite what is at stake.
Luton have earned admirers in the club's first top-flight season for more than 30 years and while Edwards admits it is touch and go whether they survive, he says the club's future is bright.
"We've got to look at where we've come from. We can compete and we just do things our way," Edwards, whose side will move above 17th-placed Everton with a win, told a news conference.
"If, and it's a big if, if we can stay at this level and keep competing for a long time, then we'll be in a better position to keep building and growing."
But he insists relegation would be no disaster.
"This is our first year in the Premier League, we're never going to be able to go out and match other clubs," he said.
"But that doesn't mean we can't sign good players and we've got other good players in the building as well.
"We're in the process of achieving something and that's a long term thing. This club will continue to grow whatever happens this year because there is a really good plan with brilliant people running the club.
"We're not going to be forced into sales or people losing jobs if the worst was to happen and we go down. We'll continue to build and grow and get better."
Striker Carlton Morris is fit after suffering some cramping in Luton's FA Cup third round match against Bolton Wanderers, although Jacob Brown is suspended and captain Tom Lockyer and Marvelous Nakamba are both still unavailable.
Burnley are 19th with 11 points, four behind fellow promoted club Luton, and defeat would be a massive blow to their survival hopes, but manager Vincent Kompany played down the pressure.
"I'd hope that we like pressure, we like to be in a pressured environment," he said. "What club are you if you don't want pressure? This year is the same type of pressure (as the Championship), being able to stay in the league."
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Toby Davis)
