Mansfield must manage without Nicky Ajose

Posted Thursday, April 04, 2019 by PA

Mansfield will be without Nicky Ajose for their Sky Bet League Two clash with Cambride.

The striker has returned to Charlton after suffering knee cartilage damage which is expected to keep him out for four to six weeks.

The Stags have seen off an illness bug which sidelined Ryan Sweeney last Saturday and then spread through the squad at the start of the week.

George Grant and Neil Bishop are expected to be fit for the match after suffering knocks in last week’s 4-1 win over Exeter, but forwards Craig Davies and Jordan Graham are likely to miss out again while goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik and defender Hayden White are long-term absentees.

Cambridge shocked promotion-chasing Bury on Tuesday night, and will likely be unchanged as they look to repeat the trick against another side eyeing a move up to League One.

Captain Gary Deegan missed the Bury match after suffering from a back spasm and is likely to sit out again, while fellow defender Paul Lewis is also out.

Rushian Hepburn-Murphy and Liam O’Neil both remain on the sidelines.

Alex Jones will hope to keep his place in attack after the Bradford loanee scored his first Cambridge goal in the midweek win.