Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough has admitted that he is looking at a new defensive signing following an injury to captain Alfie Kilgour, according to official club media.
The 25-year-old defender went down unchallenged early in the first half of last night’s 2-2 draw with Doncaster Rovers, suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon. He has since been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Kilgour has been an ever-present at Mansfield since his arrival from Bristol Rovers in January and had started each of the Nottinghamshire side’s opening four fixtures in all competitions.
The Stags are one of the favourites to secure promotion from League Two this season, and this latest news will come as a huge blow to their prospects. However, the transfer window remains open, leaving the club ample time to find a replacement.
Speaking after the game, Clough revealed the extent of the centre-back’s injury;
“It’s a massive blow and we’re all devastated for Alfie first and foremost.
“It was so innocuous. Alfie stepped back with no-one near him. He’ll be out for nine to 12 months and might be fit for next pre-season.
“His form, his presence and performances since coming into the club in January have been immaculate.
“He’ll have a scan to confirm, and then an operation as soon as possible. He’ll be in a boot for a while and will then start the long road to recovery.
“There’s a clarity to it now in the sense that we can try and get him ready for next July.”
The latest injury adds to Mansfield’s ever-growing list of absentees, with James Gale, Callum Johnson, Hiram Boateng and Aaron Lewis also on the sidelines. As a result, the former Burton Albion boss confirmed that they are looking to bring in additional cover before the end of the transfer window;
“We’re trying to get a defensive loan in.
“We have a couple of weeks left of the transfer window and will wait for confirmation from the scans of the others (Johnson, Boateng, and Lewis).”
Mansfield currently sit in fifth position in League Two and will be hoping to record their second win of the season on Saturday when they travel to Grimsby Town.
Writer’s View
The injury problems continue to mount up at Field Mill and Nigel Clough will be keen to rectify that as soon as possible.
The loss of Alfie Kilgour will be the biggest blow to the manager, particularly because he will now be unavailable until next season at the earliest.
The transfer market is always difficult heading into the final weeks of the window, but there are still plenty of potential suitors out there. The Stags will be hoping for new arrivals sooner rather than later, especially with tough fixtures against fellow promotion hopefuls Stockport County and Bradford City on the horizon.
