Recalled Speight touch and go for Fleetwood tester

Speight was recalled from loan at Alfreton for last weekend’s home defeat by Oxford, but has not trained since and is now a major doubt.

“I have had a bit of fluid on my knee this week. I have just been resting it and icing it and hope it will be right for the weekend,” he said.

“The season has been stop-start for me. I was a bit disappointed not to be given a chance. But that’s football. There was no falling out. It was just circumstances and different things were put in front of me that I had to deal with.

“I had a hamstring injury pre-season and I wasn’t able to get in the side when the season started.

“But I don’t think I have anything to prove. I have confidence in my own ability and know if I play then I will score goals. It is just about getting a run of games and fitting in with the style so I can settle in.”

He added: “We just need to get back to winning ways. The league starts to open up around Christmas. That’s when it starts to take shape and you can see where you are going to be.

“Earlier in the season we were up there and how we were playing was effective. Every team has a blip and better we have our’s now before Christmas when the league takes shape, We have come strong after Christmas in the past and there is no reason we can’t do that again this year.”

Speight admitted his recall from a very successful loan spell at neighbours Alfreton had taken him by surprise.

“I had signed until January and expected to be staying there until then. So I was a little bit surprised to be recalled,” he said.

“I went there for games and to improve my fitness levels and it took a couple of games to get going. Then I scored a few goals.

“The sending-off last weekend killed us a bit. I was up there on my own for most of the game, so it was tough.”

Speight knows, whether or not he plays, Stags will have a hard afternoon tomorrow, adding: “Everyone knows what you will get from Fleetwood. They are strong, organised and direct.”