Promoted sides taking League One by storm as depleted Mansfield Town shine brightly

Wrexham are currently second, Stags third and Stockport County fifth with Crawley Town fourth from bottom but expected to pick up once new boss Rob Elliot starts to pull the strings there.

There are a lot of big names clubs already under the high-flying promoted trio.

And Stags' achievements – four wins in a row - are even bigger when you look at the size and quality of players on their early season injury list.

“Wrexham are up there already and may well stay there,” said Mansfield manager Nigel Clough.

“I think Stockport have that ability as well.

“Ourselves and Crawley, being smaller clubs with smaller resources might find it a bit more difficult as the season goes on. But you never know.

“I think we are all in our own way still getting used to the level in the league and we hope that the players, when we get them back from injury, can just help us a little bit, whether it's coming off the bench or whatever.

“As everyone is at their absolute maximum and being stretched to their absolute maximum to get those results.

“The effort that has gone in and the running stats from Saturday show that it has been an incredible effort so far.

“When we get Rhys Oates back, our two strikers may be a bit tired and we can put Rhys Oates and Ben Waine on. Or if we are holding onto a lead in the past five or 10 minutes of a game, you might have Aden Flint or Alfie Kilgour there.

“Then there is Frazer Blake-Tracy too, and Lucas Akins is an option. When George Maris is fully fit too those half a dozen players are going to impact the performances as the season goes on.

“We are just about okay at the moment and just about getting away with it. But it's taking a huge amount of effort.”

Clough continues to fill gaps with players from other positions and admitted “I sometimes feel a little bit guilty like on Saturday when I played Keanu Baccus as a right wing back, which he hasn't really done before.

“He is an international central midfielder and we are shoving him out there trying to do a job for us.

“But we expect the principles to stay the same whatever position they play in.

“It doesn't do us any harm.

“In last week's friendly against Sheffield United we ended up with Lee Gregory and Will Evans at centre half for 20 minutes.

“I don't think they have played as a central defensive partnership before – let's put it that way!

“But it does them good to get an appreciation of different positions. They increase their knowledge of the game and the one thing you should learn is what causes you a problem in that position.

“These days players are often brought up in academies and told that is your position and you don't move from it.

“The second they have to move 15-20 yards they can't cope with it. It's about a greater appreciation of what is needed for the team.”