Manager Nigel Clough has provided updates on a number of players ahead of this weekend’s home match against Oldham Athletic in Sky Bet League Two.
Mansfield find themselves with a depleted squad for Saturday’s fixture due to several injuries and suspensions.
Kellan Gordon, James Perch, Ryan Stirk, George Cooper and Richard Nartey will miss out through injury, with Stephen Quinn, Farrend Rawson and Tyrese Sinclair all suspended for the game.
Stags may be boosted by on-loan Stoke City Will Forrester making the matchday squad, with Ollie Clarke also being cleared to feature despite having a broken nose.
“Him [Richard Nartey] and Ryan Stirk [are] unfortunately going to be a few weeks [before returning]. The only one we hope to have some good news on is Will Forrester,” the boss told iFollow Stags.
“We hope he will join up with us at the end of this week, and if he does, he’ll be on the bench on Saturday.
“He won’t be in a position to start as he’s been out for 10 or 12 weeks. He’ll be building back up and will have done some contact work this week at Stoke.
“I’m not sure [when he’ll be able to start]. We’ll see what we’ve got in terms of games, we might arrange a friendly as we have a clear week next week.
“[Ollie Clarke is] absolutely fine. He’ll probably wear some sort of protective covering [due to a broken nose], but he’ll be absolutely fine for Saturday. He played with it last Saturday against Barrow.”
Nigel Clough also reflected on Stags’ disappointing start to the season after the league campaign reached the 10-game mark at home to Barrow on Saturday.
“We’re well below where we wanted to be points-wise, certainly,” he added. “We know there are reasons for that which have been difficult to contend with in the last few weeks.
“It’s been a range of things, certainly some of them self-inflicted. Some of them are decisions that have gone against us.
“The two [penalties] that have been given against us [at Colchester and against Barrow] have defined results, and we’re very disappointed in those.
“But we have to concentrate on ourselves and get a performance out on Saturday that doesn’t hinge upon decisions.
“It’s very difficult to say that, because on Saturday [against Barrow], we battled away, it was an even game that could’ve gone either way, but the defining decision went against us.
“We have to try and get a win somehow without depending upon that [decisions].”
Looking ahead to the Oldham fixture, the manager added: “They [games] are all vital at the moment. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, we’re just absolutely desperate for three points.
“Going into the Barrow game on the back of the 0-0 at Orient, we were buoyed, I thought we were good enough to get a result in the game.
“If we got that goal in the first-half it would’ve been a different game. We could do with that on Saturday, we could do with the first goal.
“The crowd were fantastic last week [against Barrow] and we’ll need them again this week [against Oldham].
“Oldham play football, despite being in the position they’re in, they play a certain way and we saw that at the end of last season.”
Purchase tickets for this weekend’s match against Oldham online via stagstickets.co.uk.
Can’t make the game? The fixture is being shown LIVE on iFollow Stags for just £10. To purchase your video match pass, click here.
The manager’s comments followed Tuesday evening’s Papa John’s Trophy match at home to Sheffield Wednesday. To watch his interview in full, log in to mansfieldtown.net/ifollow.
