No new faces, despite early season injury worries biting hard for Stags

With Chris Clements nursing a sore hamstring, Mansfield Town's injury list is now up to five, but boss Adam Murray has no plans to further strengthen before next Wednesday's transfer deadline.
Mansfield Town's Chris Clements - Pic Chris HollowayMansfield Town's Chris Clements - Pic Chris Holloway
Mansfield Town's Chris Clements - Pic Chris Holloway

Murray’s small squad - and physio staff - is being tested to the full already with Danny Rose also out suspended, but the manager said: “ We have to ride the storm and we are riding the storm seventh in the league and joint third. So we are happy.

“I don’t want to bring bodies in and then in two or three weeks we’ve got 26 or 27 bodies. Then the dynamics are not right.

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“This is part of the football season. These are part of the hurdles you have to ride.

“Just because you get a couple in the nutcrackers and the nutcrackers are sore, you can’t just bring people into the building. It’s an easy option but it’s not the most effective option.

“This is why we have squads and this is why we have multi-functional players.

“We had a couple of the kids on the bench on Saturday which is why you have kids.

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“We know the season is going to be tough. We keep saying it, everybody this season thinks they can get in the play-offs. So it’s double tough. But sometimes double tough is good.”

Defender Krystian Pearce and striker Pat Hoban are the closest to a return, keeper Scott Shearer is still recovering from concussion while midfielder Jack Thomas continues to struggle to shake off a groin strain.

“It’s a tough one to take at the minute,” said Murray. “Last season we had a clean bill of health for large parts of the season.

“This season early doors we have picked up a few annoying niggles and we are hoping possibly a couple will be ready to go this week. We’ll know more in the next couple of days.

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“It was good to get Hendo (Darius Henderson) on the pitch Saturday. That was invaluable for us. I think he showed what a big asset he will be.

“We’ll have to see how Chris Clements is today. He had a bit of sore hamstring which would be a kick in the nutcrackers.

“When we’ve got a full squad we have one of the strongest squads, I believe, in this league, be it small but strong. But at the minute we’re down to bare bones.”

On keeper Shearer he said: “Scott is still feeling a bit groggy. I spoke to him last night and he has a check-up today.

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“These things, I’ve had a few of them, when you do get concussed it can be gone in four days, it can be seven days, sometimes they take up to two weeks.

“He is a big player for us and you obviously miss your big players. At the moment we’re missing a few.”

He added: “The next couple of days will be vital for Krystian, the same with Pat. I’d like to think that this week there’d be some big movements in that area.

“Jack is a slow process. It is frustrating. We need him on the pitch. “Players like your Krystian Pearces, your Scott Shearers, your Jack Thomas’, your Pat Hobans, your Danny Roses – these are good players in League Two.

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“Don’t get me wrong, the boys that are in there at the minute are top quality players. They are doing a great job at the minute.

“But to have the options of those type of players is always nice.

“It gives the squad a lift when we get a full quota.

“The physios are working hard and we can’t do any more than we are doing at the minute.

“It’s about using the time to rest and recuperate and get the right amount of work in to try to get some bodies in the war zone.”