Rhys Oates blow for Mansfield Town raises urgency for new striker

Stags' need for another striker deepened this week when they learned Oates' knee injury will sideline him for nine months.

Nigel Clough had hoped to bring a striker in last week but the deal is still in the air – and he admitted he can only wait so long.

“We are still making enquiries and there is still the main one we are waiting for a definitive answer on,” he said.

“That is the problem and at some point we will have to move on from that number one target.

“But at the moment we are still pursuing him.

“There are a few clubs in for the player and it's the other club making the decision on where they want him to go.

“It's very difficult to judge how long we wait. We get responses from the club and we are trying to weight it up all the time.

“The last thing we want to do is move on and bring someone else in, and then they say you can have him now. We are only halfway through the window as well.

“So we do have to be a little more patient and maybe give it another week or so.”

Clough said they would probably only bring one striker in, though did not rule out two if the right ones became available.

“With 19-20 games left I think one striker will be enough – a good one,” he said.

“If we were looking at 30-odd games left then I think we'd need a bit more.

“Despite one or two going down with injuries I think with Lucas (Akins), Swanny (Will Swan) and we can get one in, plus we have Davis (Keillor-Dunn) to go up there and Jordan (Bowery) can also do it as well, we're okay with one.

“But if two came up then we would certainly look at it. But one very good one is what we need.”

Stags this week got the news they had feared on the Oates injury.

“He has had the scans and seen a specialist and he is actually going in for an operation this week which will see him out for probably the next nine months,” said Clough.

“He has done his cruciate ligament and a bit of his miniscus as well which is a side issue.

“It is a huge blow – as a big a blow as Alfie Kilgour's injury was to us.

“It is devastating – for Rhys first of all and then for us. We miss him. Every time he is not available on the bench or starting we miss that sort of player.

“It's very difficult to go and replace them.

“It was a bit of an innocious one against Stockport where he has just fallen awkwardly and that is the third major long term injury for him in the last 12 months which I think is higher than average.

“He was scoring goals, making goals and just being the threat that he is.

“Every time he is on the pitch he has an effect, there are not many players out there like that.

“He will be a big miss, not just for this season but for the start of next season as well. We'd love to sign another Rhys Oates – even on loan – for the next three months. But they are not out there.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​