Newcastle United visit too soon for return of Mansfield Town’s walking wounded

Clough still has several key players still out injured and was hoping last weekend's international break would see them ready to start their comebacks with some game time against the young Magpies.

“We will now probably get a game arranged for about a week's time,” he said.

“We were hoping the Newcastle game would serve that purpose but it looks like it has come a bit early.

“If we can get a game next week, players can get 45-60 minutes game time under their belts and see how they go from there.

“You never really know if it was a well-timed break, you probably get the benefit more down the line than in the next two or three weeks.

“It did buy us a little more time for the injured players to get fit, which we need.

“But there is probably not going to be anyone back in time for Saturday at Luton apart from Jordan Bowery, who wasn't far off for the Reading game last week and came with us as 19th man.”

Stags lost 1-0 at home to Harrogate Town in their opening Vertu group game and Clough said: “We will put out as good a team as we can tomorrow.

“We know Newcastle have a good pool of players to choose from, though there is not too much information out there on them.

“We won't risk some players and some will be on the bench.

“But it will be the first team squad as we have to try to win the game to stay in the competition. So we will try to do that.

“Jordan Bowery, Ryan Sweeney, George Maris, Dom Dwyer, Joe Gardner and Max Dickov will all play.

“Finn Flanagan and Taylor Anderson have done well recently so we might get them involved as well.”

Stags will get their chance for revenge over Harrogate next month when they host them in the FA Cup first round following last night's draw.

“We are definitely pleased with the home tie,” he said.

“There were some tough games that came out, so we couldn't ask too much more than being at home against a team from the league below.

“We played them two or three weeks ago in the Vertu Trophy.

“We didn't deserve to lose that night so hopefully we can put it right in the FA Cup.

“I think that will be three home matches in a week and six out of the next nine, which is good.

“We seem to have had some long trips, and I know the supporters have already this season, so it will be nice to spend the majority of time at the One Call.”

The Sulphurites are currently 17th in their division, but were a bogey side for Stags, Mansfield never having beaten them, drawing one and losing six of their first seven clashes.

That bogey ended abruptly and spectacularly in Mansfield's promotion season of 2023/24 when Stags won 4-1 at Harrogate and then demolished them 9-2 at home.

The draw was made live on TNT Sports last night as 48 clubs from the EFL’s League One and League Two joined the competition.

Last season the Stags won 4-0 away at Curzon Ashton and 1-0 away at Stevenage to book a home third round tie with Wigan Athletic.

The first attempt to play it was dashed by a frozen pitch, but at the second attempt three days later the Latics won 2-0 with two superb goals by Thelo Aasgaard as Wigan earned the right to host Premier League Fulham in round four, though the cup run did earn Stags £145,000.

The first round proper will be played around the weekend of Saturday, 1st November.