Howell suspended for Morecambe trip

Howell picked up his 10th booking of the season last weekend and will now sit out the next two games while Jennings will complete his two-game ban for the same offence.

Howell’s midfield partner Jamie McGuire also remains on tenterhooks on nine yellow cards.

“It’s part and parcel of the game and we just have to get on with it,” said manager Paul Cox.

“It is the same for every club and in the next two or three games you will see players starting to disappear through suspension as they walk that tightrope.”

Stags also now have two players on the treatment table following a 5-0 reserves capitulation at Rotherham United in the Final Third Development League (East Division) yesterday, when they let in five second half goals, with Ross Dyer breaking a nose and young prospect Jack Thomas suffering an ear injury, initially though to be a perforated ear drum.

“Ross broke his nose and Jack took a clout round the ear which damaged his eardrum,” said Cox. “Ross will be sore for a few days and we will have to leave it five to 10 days to let the swelling go down before we see if it needs resetting.

“We thought Jack may have a perforated eardrum, but thankfully it doesn’t look as if it was as bad as we first thought.

“He is a tough cookie and I am hoping we might see him back in training today.”

Thomas is thought to be one of the young players Cox is hoping to blood in the first team once League safety is achieved.

Although Stags are 12th they are not mathematically out of the mire yet and will make the long trip to Morecambe overnight on Friday in preparation for what Cox sees as a ‘very big game’ for the club on Saturday.