STAGS: Trio doubtful ahead of Magpies clash as Murray sets points target

Adam Chapman, Chris Clement and Colin Daniel are all carrying injuries that could keep them out of the game, although final decisions are not expected to be made until much nearer kick-off.

One certain absentee is Krystian Pearce who serves the second match of his three game ban.

Meanwhile, boss Adam Murray has set his side a target of 60 points between now and the end of the season.

The Stags are just four points short of that with five games remaining, and although a play-off place continues to be a possibility, reaching his target would leave Murray just as satisfied.

He said: “It would show how far we’ve come. We’ve got the most away wins since 2004 which is a great accomplishment.

“We got over 60 points in our first season back in the league but with all due respect to that side, the resources were a lot better then and the boys this year have done really well to put themselves in that bracket.

“So if we can get to that target and beat it it will be a great achievement for us in our first season as a group.”

On the play-off chances, Murray is under no illusions as to how difficult it will be given the number of sides battling for seventh spot.

He added: “It’s mathematically possible and you can never write yourselves off, especially with the way the league has been this season, but it will be very tough as I think we’d have to win four out of the five games or at least go unbeaten to the end.

“There are so many teams in the pack fighting for what I think is just one spot now so that shows how tight it is, but for us to be even talking about the possibility of the play-offs at this stage shows progress so we’re happy with that and it’s a case now of moving forward.”