Marvelous Nakamba feels good

After making his first league start since last December on Saturday, Marvelous Nakamba told of the belief he had in himself and the club's medical staff to overcome his latest knee injury.

The Zimbabwe international midfielder played 70 minutes of the 1-0 win at Millwall, following his first-half appearance in the Carabao Cup tie at QPR last month.

"I feel good to be back," said the 30-year-old. "I am trying my best every time, and with the help from the technical team, the physios, everyone around the players - I feel great and also happy to be back to play my first league match.

"I played in the cup before, so I got more minutes today to keep pushing myself to the maximum and to be ready as soon as possible."

On the injury initially suffered on international duty last November, before finally succumbing to it and requiring surgery after going off in the defeat to Manchester City at Kenilworth Road on December 20th, he said: "I never gave up.

"Injuries happen in the game of football, so I had to soldier on and keep on believing and also to follow the instructions from the physios and with the support that I got from my family, everyone back home, here at the club, just pushing me.

"The belief they have in me, also to keep encouraging me to keep on following the programmes from the physio, so I was just doing it step by step and letting God to do the rest."

Marv had similarly been out injured for the first half of the 2022/23 season at Aston Villa before making his initial loan move to Kenilworth Road, playing his first game of that campaign in early February when making his debut for the Hatters.

Then, he got stronger and stronger with each game he played - a situation manager Rob Edwards has spoken about being possible again with his holding midfielder playing his way to fitness.

"When I first came it was a similar issue," said Nakamba.

"Football is everything for me and whenever there is a set-back, I always have hope and belief. It has made me get to where I am and achieve whatever I have achieved, and to come from where I have come from. Of course it is a set-back, but it is something I can try and push on from and become stronger."

On the first win of the season at The Den, courtesy of Teden Mengi's first-half striker, Marv said: "I think it was very important to get some positive results, to keep up with the belief, as a team, as a group, with our fans. It was very important to get maximum points today."

He added: "It is important for the group, and also the dressing room. The training has been fantastic. Everyone has been pushing each other and of course the gaffer has been saying, the wins will come.

"If we just keep on believing in ourselves, keep on believing in the culture of the club and pushing each other and supporting each other and be there for each other."