Mansfield Town must name final squad amid fears Rhys Oates could miss rest of the season

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Mansfield Town must confirm their 22-man League One squad for the rest of the season tomorrow – and they may have to take a huge gamble on the fitness of striker Rhys Oates amid fears he could miss the rest of the season.

Oates has a knee problem which may or may not require surgery.

It leaves the future of other fringe players up in the air with Calum Macdonald, who missed out on the first half of the season, able to play last weekend but unsure if he will win a place in the squad for the second half of the campaign.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We are not sure about Rhys Oates' situation. We are awaiting some clarification and I don't think that will be clear for a little bit,” said manager Nigel Clough.

Will Rhys Oates be kept in the Mansfield Town squad for the second half of the season?Will Rhys Oates be kept in the Mansfield Town squad for the second half of the season?
Will Rhys Oates be kept in the Mansfield Town squad for the second half of the season?

“He has had a scan and it's a bit inconclusive.

“He was due to be back on the grass this week, but his knee swelled up before he could do that.

“It has settled down again this week and he has done some loading in the gym.

“We are just seeing day to day how it settles down.

“Long term it will be no problem at all, it is just if the knee needs a little clean-out or something like that, it would probably mean he misses the rest of the season.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On the final squad, he added: “We are pondering it at the moment, depending on Rhys Oates' situation.

“It could be Calum Macdonald who misses out again, but that would be dependent on Frazer Blake-Tracy's injury as we don't have too much cover down the left hand side at the moment.

“It could be Calum, it could be Rhys, depending on the injuries.

“I think the deadline is noon on Thursday.”

Along with Oates and Blake-Tracy, Stags also have Deji Oshilaja, Louis Reed and Matty Craig on the treatment table ahead of Friday night's visit of Northampton Town.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Deji is still going to be a few weeks, as is Frazer, though he is progressing very well at the moment, probably quicker than we thought,” said Clough.

“But Louis Reed is still quite sore and Matty Craig the same, so we will asses them later in the week.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1952
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice