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Luton boss admits players may boycott Liverpool Cup tie

Troubled Luton manager Kevin Blackwell has admitted that some of his players could refuse to face Liverpool in tomorrow night's FA Cup third-round replay at Anfield for fear of scuppering moves away from the financially-stricken club.

Blackwell handed in his notice at the Coca-Cola League One club on Friday after the club's administrators agreed to sell captain Chris Coyne to Colchester and midfielder Dave Edwards to Wolves without his knowledge.

He and coaches Sam Ellis and John Carver will leave on February 9 and the former Leeds manager believes that he could face the prospect of players refusing to risk injury in the clash.

Blackwell said: "The way it has gone, I don't even know who I will have available to play.

"There are at least one or two players talking to other clubs and they've got to step into the arena and put their bodies on the line knowing that an injury could cost them a move to a club where they are guaranteed to get paid.

"I could be sat in the dressing room at Anfield an hour before kick-off and a player might decide that they don't want to run that risk and pull out.

"I would be bitterly disappointed if that happened but you can understand it.

"Wolves said that we could play Dave Edwards in the game but the administrator wouldn't allow it in case the deal fell through so now that seed has been sown then it must be praying on other players' minds."

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