Notts County vs Mansfield preview
Thursday 14 February 2019 16:06, UK
Notts County manager Neal Ardley will continue to shape his new-look side when they take on Mansfield in a derby clash on Saturday.
Ardley signed eight players in January and is still finalising his first-choice XI, but results have already picked up.
Though County remain bottom of the table they come into the match on the back of a draw against leaders Lincoln and a win at Forest Green. Kane Hemmings is fit again after injury but has not been able to force his way into the starting line-up yet given the new-found depth.
Mansfield will be without Danny Rose after the striker had surgery on a gruesome facial injury suffered at Newport last weekend. Rose broke his jaw and severed an artery in a bloody incident, and faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
With Jordan Graham also injured that leaves Mansfield light up front, and there are also problems in defence. New signing Ben Turner is not fit following a calf injury, while Ryan Sweeney begins a two-match ban for an accumulation of bookings.
Opta stats
Notts County are without a win in their last 12 meetings with Mansfield in League Two (D6 L6) since a 3-2 victory in August 2005.
Mansfield are unbeaten in their last eight Football League visits to Notts County (W2 D6), keeping five clean sheets in this time.
Notts County have won just one of their last nine home league games (D4 L4), and they're winless in the last four (D2 L2).
After remaining unbeaten in their first 12 away games in League Two this season (W4 D8), Mansfield have lost two of their last four (W1 D1).
Neal Ardley recorded just his second league win as Notts County manager last time out, he has won successive league games since April 2018 when managing AFC Wimbledon.
