Blair and Jones told to be patient over new Mansfield Town deals

Long-term injured duo Matty Blair and Luke Jones will need to prove their fitness before Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray will risk offering them a new contract.
Matty Blair on his arrival at Mansfield Town.Matty Blair on his arrival at Mansfield Town.
Matty Blair on his arrival at Mansfield Town.

But Murray stressed the club would be fair to them and felt both were currently flying.

He said: “I’ve had positive chats with the chairman about both of them and chats with both lads and they are aware they need to be a little bit patient with us as we need to see they are hitting certain targets. But they will have a fair opportunity.”

Jones missed the entire season with Achille’s heel problems while Blair damaged his cruciate ligament in his knee just after signing in January.

Murray said: “Matty is flying now. He is ahead of schedule and we are hoping he will be back at the start of the season or maybe just after.

“We will treat him like we did Hearnsy. We won’t put any pressure on him. He is at St George’s Park in two weeks which is always a major part in rehab.

“We are over the moon with him. With the way he is as a person, if we let him play now he would. We are having to hold him back.

“We will sit down with him over the next couple of weeks. Obviously we have to hit certain targets with his rehab before we throw ourselves in and I won’t put the club at risk and we won’t do anything that’s going to come back and bite us on the backside. But at the same time we are being fair with people.

“Luke Jones is also coming on well. He had a bit of a setback with his rehab which has put him back and he might be a little longer than Blairy.”