Double striker blow for Stags
Rhead failed to recover from a hamstring strain at Portsmouth last weekend while Palmer picked up an ankle injury in training yesterday.
That left an already injury-ravaged Stags with seven first choice players missing and skipper Adam Murray suspended.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAlex Fisher, as the only other striker in the club still fit, came in to partner Rakish Bingham up front.
Stags had just five players on the bench including keeper Dimitar Evtimov.
Cambridge had former Stag Tom Naylor on their bench.
STAGS: Studer; Sutton, Riley, Sendles-White; Beevers, McGuire, Heslop, Bell, Freeman; Bingham, Fisher. Subs: Evtimov, Lambe, Marsden, Thomas, R. Taylor.
CAMBRIDGE: Dunn, Tait, G. Taylor, Coulson, Donaldson, Champion, Elliott, Simpson, Hughes, Nelson, Appiah. Subs: Dunk, Lanzoni, Norris, Chadwick, Lennon, Bird, Naylor.
REFEREE: Mark Heywood of Northwich.