LOMAS ON STAGS: 2023 looks promising, but depleted Mansfield Town must cover all angles in this transfer window

But boss Nigel Clough has to make sure during January that he has everything he needs for a sustained promotion push and not leave himself open to getting caught short when the window closes.

Stags have a deliberately lean but versatile squad. However, the latest spate of injuries and illness saw him have to name two keepers and a youth team player to make up the bench at Walsall on Saturday.

And, with seven players already missing, he saw an eighth leave the field before the half-hour mark had arrived as Anthony Hartigan suffered a second shoulder dislocation in a short space of time.

It has left them very short on numbers ahead of the start of what could be a potentially lucrative spell of at least three home games out of the next four – maybe more if the Grimsby Town home game is quickly rearranged.

So all areas need to be looked at and covered as best as the budget allows.

Despite missing some key names, Stags have shown they still do have strength in depth with their displays in the past week.

At Hartlepool they failed to get going in the first half but still managed to go up a gear and come from behind for a well deserved victory, and it was incredible how they came away with nothing from Saturday’s game at Walsall.

Despite losing Elliott Hewitt with illness pre-match and then Hartigan early on, they completely dominated the first half and should have been out of sight. But they did not take their chances and went behind hugely against the run of play when a loose ball from George Maris gifted the Saddlers a goal out of nothing.

Stags were then caught cold from a corner on the restart and faced a mountain but grew back into the game, pulled one back, and pushed Walsall to the end.

A left back as cover and competition for Stephen McLaughlin is important if Lewis Page is not fit enough to extend his contract. A dominant, mobile central defender is also needed,another striker is always worth having and an out and out speedy winger as an alternative plan would also complement what he has.