Evans could bring in more signings as Stags prepare for big kick-off

Stags boss Steve Evans says there could be two or three more additions to his squad before the transfer window closes.
Steve EvansSteve Evans
Steve Evans

Mansfield head to Crewe Alexandra on Saturday for their opening League Two fixture, with many bookies having made Stags favourites to win the title this season.

And despite several new arrivals over the summer, Evans says more may follow, with Scunthorpe’s Tom Hopper currently being strongly linked with a move to the One Call Stadium.

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Evans said: “We’re talking to two or three clubs at the minute. I’m very lucky, the chairmman and chief executive want us to strengthen.

“We’ve had a chat with Scunthorpe about Tom Hopper but we’re not quite there. He’s a good player but he’s not the only one we’re looking at.”

Evans says he will announce to his players who will start Saturday’s game just ahead of the fixture, but couldn’t hide his excitement about the season finally getting underway.

He said: “We’ll tell the starting team around lunchtime on Saturday at the team hotel. We always have a team meeting and we’ll tell them then and the boys on the bench will be told at the stadium.

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“I’ve also decided on the captain but we’ll tell the players tomorrow morning. There’s three or four protagonists for the job.

“It’s not just one. Zander Diamond has captained us of course and so have Rhys Bennett and Paul Anderson, but we’ll tell the players first.

“The opening day is an exciting time. I love to see the players’ and fans’ coaches up and down the motorway.”

Evans was also complimentary towards Saturday’s hosts, with the Scot believing they have a good chance of challenging for promotion.

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He said: “Crewe have got good players and good players win games.

“They’ve got Dave Artell who is making his way in his management career – a former Stag – he’s a good guy.

“I’ve seen them and Paul (Raynor) has seen them and we both think they’ll do very well because they’ve got that attention to detail and that aggression from the manager and they’ve got very talented footballers.”

In terms of team news for Saturday, Evans added that only Alex MacDonald is expected to be a key absentee.

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He said: “We have all except Alex to pick from. He is getting fitter everyday and we’ll miss him at Crewe but he’ll be back soon.

“I think he’s got a real chance for Forest Green at home. He’s working incredibly hard. He looks absolutely terrific and he’s a big player for us. He’s a big player going forward and we want the wee fella back.”