Exeter City trip set to be postponed for Mansfield Town as international call-ups loom
Mansfield Town are confident their scheduled trip to Exeter City on Saturday, 12th October will be postponed due to international call-ups.
That will leave Stags facing a gruelling midweek jaunt to the West Country at some stage, but it will also give manager Nigel Clough more time to get his injured players closer to a return to action.
Stags are awaiting a new date for the away trip to Wycombe Wanderers after that was called off earlier this month due to Keanu Baccus (Australia), Ben Waine (New Zealand) and Lucas Akins (Grenada) being called up by their respective countries.
Clough is now awaiting news on the next international weekend and said: “I think Keanu has already been called up, despite a change of national manager.
“But they do these calls-ups at different varying times which is a bit daft. I think it should be standardised and they should announce their squads at the same time.
“But I think we are pretty confident that, having done well in the previous international games, all three will be called up again.”
In the meantime, Stags have George Maris back from his pre-season injury and can see Alfie Kilgour, Rhys Oates, Aden Flint, Frazer Blake-Tracy and George Williams getting closer to a return while Akins is also trying to shake off a knock in time to play again for his country, having scored twice on Grenada duty this month.
“We are hoping to have Alfie back against Newcastle U21s on 29th October,” said Clough.
“We are waiting on strength test results for Oatesy to see how he is to join in training.
“Flinty we are not sure, he will be another few weeks.
“Blake-Tracy should be after the international break, Lucas should be around that or just before, and George Williams in the next couple of weeks as well.
“When they are all fit we will have problems selection-wise which will be great. We will have great options to bring on.”