Archived News from January 2022
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JAMES PERCH SET TO MAKE A RETURN TO ACTION
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James Perch set to play in under-23s match
mansfieldtown.net, Monday 24th January 2022 We are heartened to confirm that experienced defender James Perch is set to make a return to action for the first time in four months when Stags' under 23s take on Wigan Athletic under 23s in the Premier League Cup on Wednesday night. After fracturing his skull, during a training session in mid-September following an innocuous aerial challenge, it was feared that the 36-year-old would miss the rest of the season. However, following a positive recent consultation, the former Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United player has now been given the option of returning to competitive action. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2022/january/james-perch-set-to-play-in-under-23s-match Manager Nigel Clough said: "We had some very encouraging and promising news a few weeks ago when James went for a routine scan. "It was expected to confirm that they [the consultants] would look at it again towards the end of the season, with nothing more to be done. "But the specialist said his fracture at this moment in time is now as strong as it would be at the end the season. "With appropriate head protection, he gave James the choice of starting training with a view to playing again some time towards the end of this month. "James was ecstatic when he got the news. He has since been involved in training in the past two to three weeks with various levels of contact. He's been able to keep up with physical work, generally, and is in good shape. "The decision to play is up to James and he is now at the stage where he's scheduled to play 45 minutes on Wednesday. "It's still relatively early stages and we'll see how he feels with the head protection. "We've missed his experience, leadership and quality. When he joined back in training, you could see the rest of the players visibly lift having him around. Having him back in training has given us another boost." Perch will travel with the rest of the Stags' under-23s to the Impact Arena, Alfreton, this Wednesday night. Kick-off is at 7pm. ---------------------- Early return of James Perch is great news says Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough chad.co.uk, By John Lomas, Tuesday 25th January 2022 Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough said the early return to action of James Perch was fantastic news and would not rule out having him on the bench for Saturday's visit of Leyton Orient. Perch was ruled out for the season after fracturing his skull in a freak training accident in September but will now play a tentative 45 minutes with the U23s in the Premier League Cup clash with Wigan Athletic at Alfreton Town on Wednesday night. Clough admitted the club had know Perch had been given the okay to return a few weeks ago but kept it quiet. “It is such a bonus. We've been excited about it for a few weeks but didn't want to say anything and jinx it or pre-empt anything,” he said. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/early-return-of-james-perch-is-great-news-says-mansfield-town-boss-nigel-clough-3541306 “It has been a major boost for everybody around the place. “It is one of the best pieces of news we've had for some time. It was unexpected as we were thinking he was going to be out for the season. “But he saw the specialist a few weeks ago, got the provisional okay to start training with protection - he has got a guard on. And he will play 45 minutes at Alfreton if all goes well. “He has been at varying stages of training for a few weeks but we didn't want to say anything too early. We wanted to make sure everything was okay. “He has been through various stages of contact and he is now back in full contact training. “Hopefully he won't be too long. It just depends how he gets on and how he goes with the headguard.” He added: “We are not going to get carried away. But having him back on the training pitch and having him back involved is like having a new player. “It's absolutely brilliant news for him and for us. “Perchy is 36 now but unbelievably fit and, as we saw at the start of the season, he's still got something to offer. “It will take him a bit of time to get back in the swing of things, but it's helped he has been able to join in training in varying capacities in the last few weeks. He has competed as well as anyone in training this morning. “We are just looking forward to getting him back on the pitch.” The vastly experienced Perch has remained a part of things around the dressing room and Clough said: “His experience and just being around the place has been important. “You want people like that to stay around. We've left it very much up to him to come in and do as much or as little as he wants to do.” The next step will be decided after Perch's first game back on Wednesday. “We will assess him after Wednesday night when he's done 45 minutes - he might even do 60,” said Clough. “He has been able to do quite a bit of physical work so he shouldn't need too long. It's how comfortable he feels with the headguard in his own mind. We will leave it up to him to a large degree. “We still have to be a bit careful - he can't go at it 100 per cent. We are being slightly cautious with it but hopefully everything will go well.” Even if Perch does well at Alfreton, the best he can hope for is a place on the bench on Saturday. “Even though Faz Rawson is suspended we still have options back there with Oli Hawkins and Elliott Hewitt - and Lucas Akins can play full back. “I wouldn't think he will be starting a game any time soon but there is a chance of him being in the squad.” Clough said Perch had overcome some very difficult days over the time he has been injured. “He has been a bit down at times personally. He is not a 23 or 24-year-old any more,” said Clough. “So when you come towards the end of your career and you miss a long chunk of a season - and you think it's going to be longer - it does get you down. “It has been demoralising for him at times and he's done well to keep his chin up. When you are watching the team doing well everyone wants to be a part of it, though when we had the bad run I think he was quite pleased he was out injured. “He had tentatively made the decision he was going to give it a go next season, then he went to the specialist and got the okay a few months early, so he is very excited about the opportunity.” --------------------- James Perch: Mansfield Town defender cleared to return after fractured skull https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60138536 Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough says James Perch being cleared to resume full training after a fractured skull has given the club a "major boost". Perch, 36, was injured during training in August and was expected to miss the rest of the season. However, he has recovered quicker than expected and was due to make his return for the Stags' under-23s on Wednesday, but the game has been postponed. "To have him back is wonderful news," Clough told BBC Radio Nottingham. "We've been excited about it for a few weeks, but didn't want to say anything, we didn't want to jinx it or pre-empt anything. "Although he's getting on a little bit he's unbelievably fit and, as we saw at the start of the season, he's still got something to offer." A consultant recently told Perch the fracture had healed well enough for him to play again, wearing protective headgear. "He's still going to have to do quite a bit of physical work but shouldn't need too long. It's how comfortable he'll be with the headguard and that sort of thing in his own mind, so we'll leave it up to him to a degree," said Clough. "He's gradually joined in where he can head it again and he's competed as well as anybody in training. We're being slightly cautious with him but we're hoping everything will go well." League Two Mansfield can set a new club record of eight successive league wins if they beat Leyton Orient on Saturday, following a 15-match run without a victory at the start of the season. "I think when we were having that bad run he was quite pleased he was out injured, but now the team's doing well everybody wants to be a part of it obviously," Clough joked. ----------------------- |
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