Mansfield Town

The 26-year-old missed our clash at Luton Town last weekend and could be ruled out for a lengthy spell if scan results, expected in the next 48 hours, reveal serious damage.

Cox said: “I think he’s got a slight tear in his right knee and he needs to have a scan. We’ll get the results in the next 48 hours or so, but hopefully he’ll be okay. 

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“His performances of late have been outstanding and he’s been one of our best players this season. 

“He openly admitted that he thought he would have let the team down if he’d played at Luton last weekend, which is credit to him and testament to his character. 

“But if scan results do reveal the worst, we’ve got Chris Clements and Jamie Tolley, who did exceptionally well yesterday [in a friendly versus Notts County], who can both come in.” 

Our boss, speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s game with AFC Telford United, also revealed that defender Lee Beevers cracked a rib a few weeks ago. 

It completes a gruesome few weeks for the Welsh full-back, who dislocated his shoulder in the victory at Luton and was again in the wars during our midweek victory at Lincoln City. 

“At half-time [against Lincoln], he had a loose tooth and a cracked nose. He’s also been playing with a broken rib lately, so credit has to go to him,” continued Cox. 

“He’s got stuck in and rolled his sleeves up when some players may have chucked the towel in. It’s a testament to his qualities as a footballer.” 

In other injury news, striker Jake Speight is expected to resume training next week, whilst Ross Dyer is around a month away from a return.