Cheltenham waiting on Matty Blair and Liam Sercombe

Posted Friday, January 08, 2021 by PA

Cheltenham will check on the fitness of Matty Blair and Liam Sercombe ahead of their FA Cup clash with Mansfield.

Defender Blair suffered a hamstring problem in the draw at Colchester on December 29, while midfielder Sercombe was also forced off injured in that game.

The Robins’ league match at Harrogate last weekend was postponed due to a frozen pitch so both players may have had the time they need to recover and return to contention.

Defender Sean Long (hip) and midfielder Conor Thomas (calf) have returned to training and could feature but goalkeeper Scott Flinders remains unavailable due to a leg issue.

Mansfield manager Nigel Clough could name an unchanged team for the third successive match.

Kellan Gordon’s injury in the win at Scunthorpe forced Clough to make an alteration against Port Vale, as the versatile James Perch was brought into the Stags’ midfield.

A 4-0 victory convinced Clough to pick the same XI against Salford in midweek and the team responded with another three points.

Striker Nicky Maynard (hamstring) will be assessed while long-term absentee Joe Riley continues his rehabilitation from the serious knee injury he suffered in pre-season.