Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough continues search for two new players

Clough has already signed Lee Gregory, Adedeji Oshilaja, Keanu Baccus and Frazer Blake-Tracy and said: “I think we are after another couple if possible and have made enquiries along those lines.

“We are just waiting for answers back – one would be a loan and one a permanent – and see where we are from there.”

One player who will not be joining Stags is defender Lewis Brunt, who impressed on loan from Leicester City last season but was this week snapped up for an undisclosed fee by big-spending rivals Wrexham.

“It was us and Peterborough that were neck and neck for his signature,” said Clough.

“I think we had put in an offer slightly more than Peterborough's.

“Then, as is the way, Wrexham came in and blew us both out of the water.

“They bid quite a bit more than we had and on personal terms as well. The likes of us and Peterborough can't compete with that.

“There's nothing you can do about it.”

On his promoted squad's first few days back, he said: “Friday was just a testing day to see what levels they are at, so this is the first day back in earnest.

“They have all come back in pretty good shape as we'd hoped.

“This week is just getting back into the swing of things really and not picking up any niggles or injuries.”

Apart from long term injured pair Alfie Kilgour and Rhys Oates, Elliott Hewitt is the only one not in full training.

“Elliott has to be a bit careful with his knee at this stage so he will integrated back in a bit more gently than the others,” said Clough.

“He is doing some solo work and we will see where he is by the end of the week.”

Stags start life in League One with a game at Barnsley followed by a Carabao Cup trip to Bolton Wanderers in a tough opening month.

“It's a tough start – but I think the next nine months is going to be tough when you look at the strength of League One this season,” said Clough.

“I have already spoken to a couple of League One managers and they said they anticipate it being a tougher league than it was last season.

“There are a lot of good teams in there with big budgets and we are going to have to compete with them.

“The Carabao Cup draw could have been kinder. You have Barnsley away in the first league game, then Bolton away a few days later.

“But it is a lovely stadium and will be a lovely pitch this time of the year.

“We had a great run in it last year and we will try to repeat that.”

He added: “We have a nice pre-season programme with quite a bit of variety with the games that we've got, and we have a few days away in Portugal as well where we are playing Chelsea U21s.

“We enjoy pre-season. There are no points at stake and we enjoy watching the team get fit, evolve and grow.

“It gives us a good mark and a good measure at this time of year and that's what we are looking for over the next four or five weeks.

“We have 20-odd good outfield players and we will have a couple of trialists in that time too and it's a good time to have a good look at everybody.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​