Key players out for six weeks as Mansfield Town are rocked by triple injury blow

January newcomers Louis Reed and Callum Johnson both limped off along with goal ace Rhys Oates – only recently back from a three month lay-off – before the game had even reached half-time in a season in which Stags have been dogged by injuries.

Boss Nigel Clough said: “A scan showed Louis has damaged his medial ligament.

“It's not as bad as it could have been but also not brilliant as we think he will be around the six week mark, which is a bit of a blow for him and for us.

“It was a block tackle after about five minutes of the game – it's just one of those things in football. It was a typical football injury – a contact injury and a fair tackle from both players. He just came off the worst.

“Rhys' shoulder came out. It is not the pectoral muscle injury he had last time but it's a new injury that needs time to settle down and will probably be about the same six weeks, providing there are no setbacks.

“Rhys did actually foul the lad and you have to have a bit more nous not to go into those challenges, especially when you have had the sort of injuries he has had.

“There was nothing to be gained from going into it. You can only come off worse for wear as he did.

“As the ball bounced I think he was thinking if I win it first I am away. They came together but their lad won the ball first and Rhys went into him. Their lad was set, so physically you have a fair chance of injury from that sort of challenge.

“Their lad did nothing wrong and Rhys needs to think about it a bit more.

“Callum has more of a routine groin strain so we are talking maybe four weeks for him.”

He added: “It has been like this most of the season – sometimes you just have seasons where this happens. Ours has been littered with it from pre-season.

“We went into last Saturday's game already without Christy Pym, Hiram Boateng, Stephen McLaughlin and Anthony Hartigan only to lost three more in the first half.

“I think that is why there was that jubilance after the game after our late equaliser – it was borne out of the circumstances as much as anything.

“It was a fair result in the end and two good teams going at it in front of a great crowd.

“It felt like more than a point – not in terms of the league table but in terms of confidence. It also highlighted the strength of our squad.”

On the other injuries ahead if Saturday's visit of Gillingham, Clough said: “Stephen McLaughlin is a similar time to Callum Johnson.

“Christy Pym has a chance – he is doing some handling work. He is not far off and we will see how he goes in training. He could at least be on the bench.

“If he is fully fit he will start. But if he isn't I have no problem at all – Scott Flinders will continue in goal. He has been outstanding over the two games.

“Hiram was pretty close for last Saturday. He trained on Friday but we just didn't want to risk him at this stage of the season.

“Losing players like we are for four to six weeks we can't afford to lose anyone else.”

Clough admitted the latest injuries may force his hand on formations for Saturday.

“We have been playing three at the back, but with the lack of wing backs available now we may have to go back to a back four and see who is around,” he said.

“We have lost Rhys. But we have good forward options as you saw with Danny Johnson and Will Swan coming on plus Lucas Akins and Jordan Bowery. And I thought David Keillor-Dunn was very bright and lively on his debut.

“John-Joe O'Toole going out on loan is still a possibility, but not at the moment with the injuries we picked up on Saturday.

“I think he will be back in the 18 on Saturday. Hopefully Jason Law and Hiram Boateng will be fit so it will be those three in for the three that were injured.”

With Stags forced into three substitutions before half-time and therefore unable to make any after the break, Clough said the rules should change.

“I think the rule is intended to be for the right reasons,” he said.

“You get five substitutions and what they didn't want was to have five individual substitutions made in the last 10 minutes to break up a game and have it stop-start all the time.

“So they made it on three occasions with half-time not counting, which is brilliant.

“But no one uses subs like that in the first as no one is wasting time – first half subs are genuine substitutions for injury or tactical.

“Therefore you should still be allowed to make second half substitutions if you have had to use two or three in the first half.

“You could end up with nine men through no fault of your own.

“I agree with the premise of it but it needs a bit more flexibility.”