Stags expecting bad news on Raynes injury

If Raynes is ruled out for a lengthy period of time it will mean that three of Adam Murray’s six January transfer window newcomers are already sidelined ahead of Saturday’s visit of Northampton Town.

Raynes limped out of Tuesday night’s 2-1 defeat at Morecambe and first team coach Micky Moore said today: “It’s the story of our season.

“We are not very hopeful on Michael’s scan. We will know the extent of the injury later today.

“But it could be that it will be a third of the six new players out long term.

“After we had nine or 10 out injured in the early part of the season we thought we’d turned a corner and then done good business in the January window.

“We highlighted the players we wanted who we thought would improve us and shoot us up the league table.

“Now it’s in the hands of the gods and it’s just another unfortunate thing.”

Stags have already lost fellow new boys Matty Blair for the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury and skipper Ricky Ravenhill indefinitely with a pulled hamstring.

Stags also look unlikely to welcome back midfield ace Chris Clements this weekend after photographs of his badly gashed ankle were published on Twitter.

Clements has had six stitches in the wound and missed the trip to Morcambe and Moore said: “We have pencilled him in for Tuesday night’s game with Luton, but we will just have to see how it is.

“His injury is another blow to us as he had been playing well. These things are here to test us and we just have to get on with it.”