Injuries worries for Mansfield Town ahead of Crewe trip

Mansfield Town will check on the fitness of goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik and midfielder Otis Khan ahead of tomorrow night's trip to Crewe Alexandra (7.45).
MK Dons Goalkeeper Lee Nicholls gets finger tips to a corner: Picture by Steve Flynn/AHPIX.com, Football: Skybet League 2  match Mansfield Town -V- MK Dons at One Call Stadium, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England on copyright picture Howard Roe 07973 739229MK Dons Goalkeeper Lee Nicholls gets finger tips to a corner: Picture by Steve Flynn/AHPIX.com, Football: Skybet League 2  match Mansfield Town -V- MK Dons at One Call Stadium, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England on copyright picture Howard Roe 07973 739229
MK Dons Goalkeeper Lee Nicholls gets finger tips to a corner: Picture by Steve Flynn/AHPIX.com, Football: Skybet League 2 match Mansfield Town -V- MK Dons at One Call Stadium, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England on copyright picture Howard Roe 07973 739229

Khan came off at the break during Saturday’s 1-1 home draw with MK Dons with an Achille’s heel problem while Ojenik soldiered on until the end after a nasty collision with big striker Chuks Aneke left him finishing the game in pain.

Conrad Logan will stand by to replace Olejnik in goal if needed and on the keeper’s injury, boss David Flitcroft said: “It’s the type of injury that tightens up over time and there will be a bit of a internal bleed in there.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“So we are going to have to spend a lot of time looking after the injury.

“Conrad Logan nearly came on. But the adrenalin had kicked in and Bobby didn’t want to come off.”

Calum Butcher will be on stand-by to replace Khan.

Defender Hayden White will also need to prove his fitness today after Saturday came too soon for him to return.

Stags’ game at Crewe is one of their two games in hand after games were postponed due to international call-ups.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mansfield will hope to further extend their current new club record unbeaten away sequence to 11 games and make up ground on the play-offs.

But Crewe, managed by ex-Stag Dave Artell, have had a decent October with three wins and two draws in six games so far, losing only to leaders Lincoln City.

After yet another draw on Saturday, Flitcroft said: “We need to have belief. We’ve only lost something like once in 20 games.

“We haven’t had enough wins, but they will come.

“I am a big believer in performance and making sure a performance is good – and it was on Saturday.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“But to really drive you up that league, back-to-back wins are important.

“We have to make our players understand and believe. They are good players.

“I thought our back three were brilliant again against MK Dons, who have a fantastic forward line.”