Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough weighs up risky returns for injured players at Leyton Orient
Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough must decide whether to risk any of his injured players as they desperately seek a result at Leyton Orient tomorrow night.
Clough has seven key players – Louis Reed, Will Evans, Lee Gregory, Matty Craig, Deji Oshilaja, Frazer Blake-Tracy and Rhys Oates, on the treatment table plus Baily Cargill suspended as Stags try to halt a six-game losing streak.
Reed and Evans are the two closest to a return after hamstring injuries, but Clough knows to play either tomorrow would be a risk.
“Louis is okay but I am not sure if we will risk him or not with his hamstring problem,” said Clough. “We will see how he is in training.
“Will Evans has come on well since his slight hamstring strain last week.
“But he is another one - at what stage do you risk him?
“We are very conscious at this stage of the season that all of a sudden if it was to go completely you are talking six weeks and the end of March or mid April when he comes back.
“It is a very tricky one, especially in the situation we are in – we need results and we need points, so we might have to risk one or two.”
Gregory limped off in Friday's defeat by Northampton Town with more knee problems and Clough said: “We are waiting on news on Lee's knee later on in the week, but I wouldn't think he will be at Orient.
“We will have it scanned. It's not been 100 per cent the last few weeks so he might be another one who needs to get it sorted – we'll have to see.
“Matty Craig has not progressed as well as we had hoped.
“It seems to be a back problem more than his hamstring.
“His scan was clear but he was still getting a bit of discomfort when he tries to extend in running.
“There is no date on his return yet.
“Deji and Frazer are coming on as expected, hopefully in a few weeks time they will both be ready, probably early March.”
He continued: “That's what hurts you, when they are all starters for us. It has certainly had an impact.
“After half an hour on Friday we had our two leading scorers missing. When you are desperate for a goal it certainly hinders the effort.
“And we have lost both our holding midfield players too.
“We are okay squad wise, but it's just when they are such important players for us.
“We have had this number out before, but they were not all starters every week like this time.
“All we can do is keep going and try to get through it.
“It feels very similar here to what is happening at Spurs at the moment.
“I feel for them as he (Ange Postecoglou) has got quite a few out as well and nothing is going for them either. They are not getting a break anywhere.”