Mansfield Town waiting on fitness of defender duo for big Lincoln City game

Mansfield Town are hoping centre halves Ryan Sweeney and Matt Preston are fit enough for returns for Monday’s huge home clash with League Two table-toppers Lincoln City.
Ryan Sweeney - out with concussion.Ryan Sweeney - out with concussion.
Ryan Sweeney - out with concussion.

Sweeney is under treatment for concussion from last weekend at Port Vale while Preston has dropped out of the side to try to sort out a niggling knee injury that had been hampering his performances as he tried to play on with it.

Sweeney had tried to lay on with his concussion but went down out of the blue as Vale attacked and knifed straight down the centre for the opening goal.

“I was disappointed with how things unfolded at Port Vale,” said boss David Flitcroft.

“Sweens didn’t tell us of his dizziness and sickness until he went out and it was a car crash after that.

“Ben Turner came on in difficult circumstances instead of being ready and getting ready.”

Now Stags must face strict rules on when Sweeney can train and play again.

Flitcroft said: “It is concussion and with that you are in a position where you are under FA protocol – it’s their process. I think it’s come from the American football model – and rightly so.

“Any head injury that is deemed as concussion, you can’t be in training and they have a certain amount of days out.

“He saw the doctor last night and we now need to need what that report says and how he is feeling.

“Has he had any nausea or sickness? We will find that out and start the process. We are hoping he has been given the all-clear to start light training.

“But we have a duty of care to protect players and we are in the lap of the FA process.”

On Preston he added: “Matty Preston is working round the clock to try to shift and disperse this pain he has at the front of his knee pad.

“He is fighting to try to get himself right for Lincoln and we are hoping he can come through.

“We are getting every moment into him that we can.

“We left him back at home on Tuesday under the supervision of the medical staff and we are just trying to get that injury site clear so he can perform at his optimum levels.”