Gareth Ainsworth says he is happy for his Wycombe Wanderers side to be the underdogs in tomorrow’s League Two clash with Luton Town.

Wanderers travel to Kenilworth Road after confirming Luke O’Nien, Marcus Bean, Paris Cowan-Hall, Myles Weston, Joe Jacobson, Scott Brown and Max Muller will be out injured for the foreseeable future.

The absentees, coupled with Luton’s solid start to the campaign, makes the hosts the firm favourites in Ainsworth’s eyes.

“There is no expectation on us when we are playing higher opposition and I am hoping it will be the same on Saturday,” Ainsworth said.

“Luton are favourites for the title in my opinion. They are a great side, a fantastic team and will be favourites at home.

“We are up against it with hardly any players, but we have been there before and we know what we have got.

“It is hard to make us underdogs but with the news we have had [with injuries] we pretty much are underdogs and will be for a few weeks.”

Last season’s trip to Luton came during one of Wycombe’s strongest runs of the 2015/16 campaign as goals from Garry Thompson and Paul Hayes gave them a 2-0 Boxing Day win.

At the time the Blues were in 6th while the Hatters occupied 15th place and were without a manager.

Fast forward and Luton, who beat Cambridge United 3-0 on Saturday, sit second after five league games and Wanderers are 19th.

Wanderers’ own results have seen a downturn in away ticket sales for tomorrow’s match, but Ainsworth believes a core of loyal fans will still turn out at Kenilworth Road.

He said: “True Wycombe supporters will be at Luton supporting us, true supporters will be at Portsmouth and at Stevenage.

“They will support us no matter what, thick and thin. I found out about a lot of true Wycombe supporters two years ago when we were at Torquay.”

Wycombe head into the match on the back of a morale boosting 3-0 Checkatrade Trophy win against Northampton Town on Tuesday night.

They played some excellent, creative football at Sixfields Stadium and seemed to have a freedom which has been missing from their League performances.

Ainsworth denied this was due to his squad playing with less pressure in the cup competition, and instead feels a backs to the wall mentality has helped Wycombe turn the corner.

“I think the realisation everything has gone against us has helped. We had these expectations, all these players signed and everyone thought this was our season,” he said.

“Believe me I want it to be our season. The lads know the news about the injuries and they have gone ‘Okay we will stand up and be counted’.”