Stags star Rhys Oates feeling positive as injury feeling better ahead of scan result
Mansfield Town forward Rhys Oates is feeling positive about the severity of his hamstring injury as the Stags prepare to head to League One title-chasers Cardiff City on Saturday.
Oates, who has been so unlucky with injuries in recent seasons, had recently cemented his place back in the side and scored four goals, three of which were spectacular finishes.
But he limped out of Saturday's 3-1 home defeat to Huddersfield Town and is now awaiting news of how long he could be out.
“It feels all right now and I am feeling quite positive about it,” he said.
“I've had a scan on it and we will just see what the results come up with, but I am feeling positive about it.
“It is feeling much better now than it did on Saturday as it was quite sore after the game.
“It happened just after we scored against Huddersfield.
“I went to push off and it felt like a cramping sensation.
“I told the bench straight away as I didn't want to risk it fully going.
“It is frustrating, but it's just another bump in the road and hopefully I am not out too long and can get back to what I was doing.”
Three goals in the first 15 minutes all but killed off Stags on Saturday and Oates said: “First 15-20 minutes we were probably quite sloppy with our play and they were just so clinical with how they counter-attacked.
“When they won it back they had four or five players going forward and got the goals.
“One was a big deflection and one was when we were down to 10 men. But we do need to be more solid, but after that we settled down and started playing, creating a few chances.
“We had to make sure it didn't go to four, five or six - no one ever wants that. So at 3-0 down you need to solidify everything first and try to find a way back into the game.
“We were not happy with the first half performance, but second half we were much better and need to take the positives out of it into the weekend.”
Oates has been pleased with his season so far, saying: “The four goals I have scored this season have been good goals, but I would like a tap-in.
“I look back at the Plymouth game and I should have scored from two yards out. Nine times out of 10, I score that.
“With three of my goals being from my left foot, it does show that I can go both ways and use both feet.
“I am more than happy for the good strikes to keep coming, but a few tap-ins would be nice.
“Since I came back from my groin injury I have played well.
“That was my main aim at first – just get a run of games, stay fit, be consistent with it, and knew the goals would then come.
“I have been happy with my performances, though there are a few games in which I feel I could have done better in certain areas.
“But overall I have been quite happy, so hopefully this is nothing serious and I can get back to what I have been doing.”
Stags have again had more than their fair share of injuries this season, but Oates said: “The squad depth we have is really good this year.
“We have seen it day in and day out since pre-season.
“We have not really had a fully fit squad of everyone all season.
“But with the 23-24 players we have got, we have shown that when we do have players out, we have enough quality players in every position to come in and not look out of place and fill that role perfectly.”
Without at least six key players, Mansfield now head for Wales on Saturday to take on the second-placed Bluebirds and Oates said: “Everyone is looking forward to it.
“It is a massive club coming down from the Championship and from day one we knew they were going to be right up there.
“But we know what we can do on our day and we just need to make sure that we are at it and doing our best.
“We need to go there with no fear and do what we know we can do and hopefully get three points.
“The league is so tight this season – we've seen week in, week out that anyone can beat anyone.
“We'd have been in the play-offs had we won that Northampton game.
“We are only five or six points from the top two or three but also the same distance from battling relegation. I think it will stay that tight all season.
“We just need to string some performances together and get going again.”
Elliott Hewitt is expected to rejoin the squad after injury at Cardiff.