Matty Blair boost for Mansfield Town

Blair has been sidelined since picking up a serious knee injury at Carlisle just after signing for the club in February.

But all the signs are that he has made a full recovery and is ready to resume his Mansfield career, so Murray is in no rush to bring in more wing cover.

“We are aware we are going to have Matty Blair back towards the start or probably just into the start of the season so we don’t want to do anything too drastic to block his pathways up,” he said.

“I am also aware we have a couple of good kids in there who, when they get up to the standards we need them to, they can do a job. It’s just about balancing things out.

“We have a small quad, but are maybe looking for some added quality rather than quantity.

“As a person and a character Matty is as strong as anything you will meet. He’s put loads of work in and is ahead of schedule.

“He has started running again which is brilliant and he’s had no ill effects from it. It’s now a case, like with Liam Hearn last year, that he needs monitoring and doing what’s right for him and the football club.

“We are chuffed where he is at and when we feel he is ready he will be integrated back into the first team squad.

“We will see how the next couple of weeks go in terms of where Matty’s head is at and then we will sit down with him. My job first and foremost is to protect the football club and make sure I do the best deal for us and the player, but Matty is someone who wants to be here and show everyone how good he is.

“He is a very good player and when we signed him, he was looked at as an X-factor player. So to have that coming back into the squad is a big plus for us.”

However, long term injured defender Luke Jones is awaiting a second opinion from another specialist.