Crunch time for injury-hit Mansfield Town with tough start to March

With eight players out injured and on the back of Saturday's 5-2 home loss, Nigel Clough's men begin a spell of four games, three away from home, and three of the games against top seven rivals.

It is a spell that could make or break their season and Clough said the most important thing was to stay with the pack while some of the key players try to get fit again for the final push.

“The next four games are crucial, without a doubt, and what we want to be is in contention when we get the players back in two or three weeks time,” he said.

“There will still be 10 games to go in the season and plenty of points to go for.

“Hopefully if we can then get Macca (Stephen McLaughlin), Oatesy (Rhys Oates) and Louis Reed back, then to be there or thereabouts in contention still, we'll settle for that.”

George Maris is the only one of the injured players who might be available by the weekend with striker Will Swan now ruled out for four to six weeks.

“George is the only one who has a chance. And we need to keep an eye on the knocks and everything we picked up on Saturday,” said Clough.

“If we'd had everyone fit I don't think Stephen Quinn would have played on Saturday with his ankle and groin.

“Alfie Kilgour was struggling with his heel and didn't train all week. You could see he was struggling to get off the ground for his headers.

“Riley Harbottle had flu-like symptoms and I shouldn't have started him.

“Two or three might not have played on Saturday so we have just got to be careful with them this week.

“We didn't have the normal intensive week's training we'd have had on a clear week, purely because we were frightened of injuries and we only had 12 players training.

“We had to tone it down, but we will have to take our chances now this week, especially with the injured players being a week closer to returning.

“But Saturday was one of our highest volume running games, the stats were right up there – probably because we were chasing the ball much of the time. But there was no lack of effort.”

Clough again insisted the home capitulation to Salford should be quickly put behind them.

“It was a bad day for us but you also have to put it in context how good Salford were on the day. We were not at our best but I thought they were exceptionally good,” he said.

“It's not a nice feeling being 5-1 down at home. But it happens and you just have to take it, lick your wounds and move. There is nothing else you can do.

“It felt very similar to the Carlisle game a couple of weeks ago. What we did to Carlisle, Salford did to us.

“They were clinical, yet we ended up having more shots than them on Saturday. We didn't finish ours. We had opportunities at key points in the game and didn't take them.

“That was one of the best performances I have seen this season, but not necessarily the best team I've seen.

“If they were the best team they would be 10 points clear at the top of the league, which Orient are at the moment. So Orient are the best side we've played this season.

“We watch a lot of League Two games and I would say two or three times this season we have copped for people turning in extremely good performances.

“There was Bradford at home, Swindon at home – they were very good but we went down to 10 men so that clouded that one a little bit – and then Saturday.

“According to the Salford directors that was by far the best they have played.”

He continued: “You just have to take it that your backsides have been kicked on your own patch and move on.

“We had an incredible run before that and if you'd offered us 13 points out of 18 we'd have snapped your hand off six games in.

“We were not getting carried away, even though we'd won three in a week without conceding, it's always fragile. You're always one game away from a defeat - it's always round the corner and it came on Saturday for us.

“Now it's about the character to bounce back and respond.”

On opponents Wimbledon, Clough said: “They have been a bit up and down, which you sometimes expect when you've been relegated, but they have improved in recent months.

“We played very well against them, even when they went down to 10 men, earlier in the season.

“But they are one of those teams that are more than capable on the day, especially at home, and we are looking forward to going to their new ground.

“It has been a sort of transitional adjustment season for them after relegation and Johnny will get them ready to go next season.

“We will be as positive as we can, despite the defeat on Saturday.

“The lads can't wait to get back on the pitch again and playing. If we'd had a midweek game it wouldn't have been a bad thing, apart from the injuries. They will have their opportunity to put things right on Saturday.”

Clough stressed that he would not now be searching for a free agent to boost his injury-hit squad.

“The problem is that most of the lads will hopefully be back in two or three weeks,” he said. “And it would take you that time to get anyone up to speed.

“The free agents have probably not played football for two months, so they will be at the same stage as our injured players.”