Steve Evans to give run outs to all 13 summer signings

Mansfield Town manager Steve Evans will mix up his squad to make sure supporters get the chance to see all of his 13 summer signings in action over an eight-day period that will see the Stags take on three Championship clubs in pre-season friendlies at One Call Stadium.

Stags will face Sheffield Wednesday at One Call Stadium on Saturday, 15 July (3pm), followed by the visit of Middlesbrough on Wednesday, 19 July (7.30pm) and then Mark Warburton’s Nottingham Forest on Saturday, 22 July (3pm).

“I am really looking forward to those three games – each an individual game for different reasons,” said Evans.

“The reason we have booked all three in a week is we want to give the home supporters the chance to see all the players.

“All the players will be given an opportunity over those three games to express themselves in front of the Mansfield Town supporters.

“I don’t have to build players up. Supporters can judge them for themselves.”

Evans is delighted by the quality of the opposition booked.

“They are wonderful games,” he said. “One of the backroom team at Sheffield Wednesday was telling me the other day they’d sold their tickets and maybe our chairman wants to give them some more. They are a wonderful club.

“I believe it will be Gary’s first game with Middlesbrough and no one has spoken more than me about the plaudits for Gary Monk and the job he did following me at Leeds.

“He did an incredible job and Gary will want to come here and get his players to get the ball down and play on the wonderful surface that will be here.

“Then we have Mark Warburton, another guy who has taken on a big challenge over at Nottingham Forest. No doubt Forest will be selling the game here too.”