Luton Town v Charlton

Having secured back-to-back home victories against Cities Norwich and Leicester, Charlton are about to embark on a run of three road trips - the first of which is to a Town.

Luton host the Addicks in the third round of the Carling Cup on Tuesday night (7.45pm) when Alan Pardew is expected to name a very different side to the one that beat the Canaries and the Foxes, both by a 2-0 scoreline, at The Valley.

Despite the changes, the manager will accept nothing less than a win against the League One outfit, as the South-East Londoners look to extend their unbeaten run to seven games.

Charlton beat one set of Hatters, Stockport County, to set up the clash with a second headwear-themed lot from Luton - but it was far from plain sailing.

The Addicks seemed to be cruising into the third-round draw when they went 2-0 up against County just before half-time at the end of August, but Stockport hit back with three quick-fire goals to turn the game on its head and put the home side under pressure.

However, Charlton recovered through Lloyd Sam, who scored his first goal for the club from a free-kick with 16 minutes to go, and in a dramatic finale Patrick McCarthy won it in the dying seconds to put his team in the hat.

The opposition

It was Luton who produced the shock of the second round when they outplayed top-flight Sunderland at Kenilworth Road.

Paul Furlong bagged a brace and David Bell was also on target against the Black Cats, who were reduced to 10 men on 62 minutes when Luton were already two goals to the good.

The 3-0 giantkilling will serve as a warning to the Addicks, especially as the Hatters have won five of their six home matches in all competitions this term.

The only defeat in their own backyard was at the hands of Bristol Rovers in the league, when Luton were undone by an 82nd-minute Rickie Lambert strike having been on level terms, at 1-1, for most of the match.

The league form of Kevin Blackwell's team sees the Hatters in 13th position in the table, and they face the Championship Addicks on the back of a 2-1 home victory over Port Vale on Saturday, when Furlong and Bell were again the men on target.

Meanwhile, Charlton fans will be reunited with former defender Chris Perry for the first time on Tuesday night. The popular centre-half spent three seasons at The Valley before joining West Bromwich Albion in summer 2006. He helped the Baggies reach the play-off final at the end of his first season, which they lost to Derby County, before agreeing a two-year deal with the Bedfordshire outfit.

Past meetings

The Hatters celebrate their victory over Sunderland

The last clash between the two clubs was an eight-goal thriller in the second round of the League Cup at The Valley, which was eventually decided by penalties. And even then Charlton needed to score eight spot-kicks to see off the lower division side.

Paolo Di Canio's first Addicks goal spared Valley blushes when his 90th-minute header made it 3-3 to take the game into extra-time in September 2003. Claus Jensen then gave the home side - which included Chris Powell and Matt Holland in the starting XI - the lead for the first time in the match, but Luton levelled to take the Premiership side to a shoot-out.

Charlton finally won 8-7 in sudden death, with Mark Fish scoring the decisive penalty. See the match report of that clash here.

The Addicks had been drawn against Luton in the League Cup on two occasions prior to that, with the Hatters coming out on top in both encounters.

They met over two legs in the second round during the 1982/83 campaign, Luton winning 3-0 at home and 2-0 at The Valley. And back in 1967/68 Luton won 3-2 on aggregate in the opening round of the competition.

Team news

Pardew made eight changes for the Addicks' last Carling Cup adventure against Stockport, and fans should expect more of the same for this Hatters clash.

The third-round tie is Charlton's third game in eight days, and with a big Championship fixture at Coventry City on the horizon, the manager has made it clear he intends to 'protect' his first teamers in midweek.

Darren Randolph could play his second successive League Cup match in the Addicks goal, while the back four is anyone's guess.

The boss has already ruled out Powell playing his fourth match in 11 days, and with Ben Thatcher still sidelined that means there is perhaps an opportunity at left-back for fit-again Osei Sankofa, who played there against Watford last season, or possibly U18 regular Aswad Thomas, who was in the 16 against Stockport.

On the opposite flank, Danny Mills could also be rested, handing Yassin Moutaouakil a chance to make his first start since he sustained ankle ligament damage in the second league game of the season at Stoke City, while Sankofa could also be deployed in that position - or indeed even in the centre.

Pardew may want to give Jonathan Fortune and Madjid Bougherra a chance to build further upon their two clean sheets, however, leaving McCarthy - who headed the winning goal that put the Addicks in the third round - waiting in the wings. Loan signing Sam Sodje is cup-tied.

In midfield, it could be all change - literally - and the manger has plenty of options.

Skipper Andy Reid will surely be rested, as in the last round, while the ever-present Jose Semedo is also due a break, while Pardew may want to preserve Lloyd Sam and Zheng Zhi for Coventry.

Knee-injury victim Holland will be pushing for a starting berth having played 60 minutes in a behind-closed-doors match last Wednesday, as will Darren Ambrose, Therry Racon and Dean Sinclair, while Jerome Thomas, not in the squad for Saturday's match against leicester City, is sure to have a run out on one of the wings.

Izale McLeod

Speculation on the front two is more of an approximate deduction.

Chris Iwelumo and Luke Varney have paired up in the last two Championship matches, with a knock to Svetoslav Todorov allowing the latter his first taste of Valley action.

Both were on target on Saturday but the competition for places up front is plentiful and the gaffer is keen to keep all four players on their toes.

Izale McLeod was a late substitute against Norwich - when he won two penalties inside three minutes - and Leicester, although he is still yet to open his Addicks account.

The former Milton Keynes Dons striker played alongside Todorov in the third round, when he also won a spot-kick for the South-East Londoners, so it's likely that will be the duo that starts at Kenilworth Road. And the Luton clash could provide McLeod the perfect opportunity to make his mark as a goalscorer as well as a penalty provider at his new club and put pressure on his striking colleagues.

Tickets

Tickets are no longer available to purchase from the Valley commercial centre.

The tie is all-ticket, and Luton confirmed on Tuesday morning that seats would be available to purchase on the night of the match, priced £21.50 adults and £1 over 65s and U16s.

Listen live: Full match commentary will be broadcast on BBC LONDON 94.9FM and BBC Radio Kent 774MW.
Opposition website: www.lutontown.co.uk
Map of Kenilworth Road