Mansfield Town

Manager Paul Cox is still to decide whether Anthony Howell will feature in Saturday’s pre-season fixture with local rivals Notts County at One Call Stadium.

The 28-year-old, who has spent the past three years with us, is currently out-of-contract – having being unable to agree new terms with the club.

Nevertheless, the midfielder has been invited to take part in pre-season training with us, but no decisions have yet been made as to whether he’ll feature in our upcoming friendlies. 

“We’ve brought him in to train with the club,” said our boss.

“I’ve had a personal chat with Anthony and I’ve been dealing with his agent for the majority of the season. There’s been a lot for us to talk about, but there’s no rush.

“I’m not in a rush to jump in. Whilst we’re looking for other players, Anthony is getting fit and we’re continuously talking on a day-to-day basis.”

Asked whether Howell could feature in Saturday’s home friendly with Notts County, Cox added: “That’s something I’ve still got to decide on.

“We’ve got a behind-closed-doors friendly before then which a lot of the trialists – and probably Anthony – will be involved in, as well as the rest of the squad.

“A lot can happen during a week in football and we’ll take each day as it comes building up to Saturday.”