Curle explains: "Both players know the financial situation at the club and we are now in the final stages of putting closing the year deal with the possibility of an extension subject to promotion etc."

He went on to say "this is absolutely brilliant news for me, the fans and the team as a whole as I know that both these players are capable of helping us achieve promotion and play in the second division"

Luke Dimech who has been missing due to a torn cartilage should be back to full match fitness in the next week or two.

Other movement at the club and rumours were also confirmed by Curle saying that Andy White has joined Boston United on a 1 month loan to hone his match fitness after spending the start of the season on the bench

"Andy knows that the door hasn't closed at this club, the 1 month loan is just to get his match sharpness back and bring his game upto the tempo that we are now playing" Said Curle.

Talking about Liam Lawrence and the possibility of losing him to another club, Curle confirmed that he will not be letting his best players go easily and he considers Liam to be one of the best players in the club.

Injury News

More Injury Problems abound at the Mill. This time it is Suspended Lee Williamson who is finding himself on the treatment table. Williamson awoke on Tuesday morning with a locked knee. The consequent investigation revealed a slight cartilage tear which Keith Curle said:

"We decided as Leroy was suspended anyway this would be a good time to get his injury sorted out, this way we have caught it early and should only take 3 or 4 weeks to heal as oppose to risk him braving it and missing 8 weeks or more with an unnecessarily aggravated hamstring injury"
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CHAD
Happy Curle gets his men
KEITH Curle was a happy manager today after Stags chairman Keith Haslam gave him the green light to sign defenders Dave Artell and Luke Dimech for the rest of the season.
Mr Haslam had initially indicated it was unlikely the club could afford to keep the pair, despite their excellent early season displays.
And then, when a final decision had to be take on Monday, the chairman was rushed into hospital with an illness and spent the day on a drip.
But on his return he agreed to fund the double signing to leave Curle on cloud nine!
"It is absolutely magnificent news," said Curle. "This football club has a lot of other financial obligations, projects and priorities.
"But we sat down and spoke and the chairman agreed he would place the first team top of his priority list which is superb for me, the players and the supporters.
"Obviously I understand he doesn't want to allow this club to end up in the state some other clubs have ended up in financially.
"He has really had to juggle his finances and other things have had to take a back burner to bring Luke and Dave here, so all credit to him.
"It is easy for supporters to jump on the 'have-a-go-at-the-chairman bandwagon. But this is a really positive move which should be applauded.
"I was panicking after Saturday when the chairman was ill and couldn't get into work and I must admit things did look bleak at that time. But the pleasing thing was he had recovered enough to come back in on Wednesday and then agreed we could keep them both."
Artell and Dimech have verbally agreed to deals which will keep them at Field Mill this season and a one-year option for next season depending on their success.
"We cannot match the wages some clubs in our division offer," added Curle. "But credit to Luke and Dave. The deals they are signing are related to performance and success. If they do well financially we will all be doing well and moving in the right direction."
The pair are expected to put pen to paper before the weekend and Artell will keep his place in the side to face leaders Oxford United.
But Maltese international Dimech is still a week or two away from fitness after a cartilage operation.
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CHAD
Stags striker goes out on loan
STAGS striker Andy White has gone out on a month's loan to fellow Third Division club Boston United.
But manager Keith Curle stressed it was purely to get him match sharp and there was no question of it becoming a permanant deal.
"I watched Andy in a practice match at Chesterfield earlier this week and he looked a little short of the sharpness I would need if I were to call him into first team action," he said.
"Boston called me on Wednesday and asked if Andy could go there on loan and I felt it was an ideal opportunity for him to play a string of matches in the League and get back that sharpness so he comes back here ready to throw his hat in the ring.
"It will give us a chance to monitor him at first team level and he will also be up against teams that he could come back and face again here with us.
"Andy remains very much part of our future plans but I think this is the right thing to do at this particular moment."
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CHAD
Knee operation for Stags ace
Stags midfield ace Lee Williamson - suspended for the next three games - underwent a cartilage operation today (Thursday).
Williamson had been in some pain for a few weeks with the injury and woke on Tuesday morning to find his knee had locked.
After speaking with manager Keith Curle it was decided to have surgery now and possibly miss four or five games while he is out for three of them anyway rather than wait until later in the season and risk a major problem.
"I told Lee I'd rather he had it done now than ended up seeing the cartilage go completely later in the season and have him miss out on six weeks near the end," said Curle.
Williamson and striker Iyseden Christie both miss this Saturday's tough trip to leaders Oxford United after straight red cards at Swansea two weeks ago.
And, with Andy White out on loan and Colin Larkin awaiting an exploratory operation to use a 'scope' to check where the nerve ending is impinging on his hamstring, it leaves Stags stretched in the striker department.
"I have every faith in the players here, though," said Curle. "I have players who can come in and do a job and I have various options. As one door closes, another one opens for someone else."
Stags' other injured player, Adam Eaton, is to undergo a minor opertion on his groin injury and will be our for another three or four weeks.