Freddie Draper came off against Northampton after turning in a solid performance, but it seems he may not get the chance to do the same against Mansfield.
Draper, who has been a star man in recent weeks, has a tight hamstring, and as our head coach announced in his pre-game press conference, the injury is something the club is keeping an eye on.
“Yeah, so he’s been assessed today so we need to keep an eye on that. We’re not sure yet whether we’ll be into training before Mansfield.
“It could be one of those things that’s not too long, or it could be one of those things that’s a bit of time because it’s a tight hamstring. So we’ll have a look at things and see from the next training session.
“Other than that, everybody came through really well, healthy and fit.”
The Imps have been relatively injury-free of late. James Collins is a long-term absentee, while we’ve also not sen Adam Jackson for a while. Another player we’ve yet to see through injury is Josh Honohan, but he is also on the comeback trail and might be featuring before the end of the season.
“We are going to get these little things. We are going to get niggles and injuries during the run-in. The squad is in a really good place. The lads who are not in the squad at the minute are training very well and preparing themselves to be ready when they are needed.
“Josh Honohan is on the grass running, not with the team, but running, which is great. We are in a strong place with the squad.”
Draper’s injury is something of a concern, as he’s been a classic number nine of late, bustling and holding the ball up well. He’s grabbed a few goals and is likely to be missed on the forward line. The 20-year-old had a breakout season in 2023/24 with Drogheda and Walsall, but perhaps 25/26 has been his truly breakout season in a Lincoln City shirt.
In Draper’s absence, it’s likely that Rob Street will start in the nine, but Ryan Oné is another possibility, especially given that he has bagged twice in three games in a Lincoln City shirt. Street has waited patiently for a chance to play nine, having more recently been deployed out wide, and he enjoyed a goal-laden run-in last season with Doncaster, a repeat of which could see him as a two-time promotion winner in as many seasons.
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