Matthew Bell set to leave Rangers
Tuesday 17th January 2012, 6:30AM GMT.
Stafford Rangers boss Greg Clowes today admitted it’s unlikely the loan deal of Mansfield midfielder Matthew Bell will be extended for a second month.
Bell returned to Field Mill after Saturday’s 1-0 win over Marine, where he was a late substitute in what was probably his farewell appearance.
Michael Carr and Kevin Street were preferred in the middle of the park and impressed, while Dan Skelton was left out of the squad completely.
Glynn Blackhurst, one of only two contracted players at the club, is also pushing for a place and Clowes now appears ready to do without Bell.
The 20-year-old has made five starts for Rangers, scoring once, and was omitted from the starting line-up for the first time on Saturday.
Clowes said: “The problem with loan players is, if they get injured, it’s like having a contract player on your hands.
“I can’t really afford to do that, there’s a lot of loan players flying around but they are not a priority to me.
“Today, I can’t see that happening.”
The Rangers boss admitted he dropped Bell to try out Carr and Strret as a pair on Saturday, with Michael Morton also still to return to injury.
Clowes said: “Matt didn’t play on Saturday because I wanted to strike a partnership between Carr and Street and they did very well.
“I can’t remember how many times this season where I have been able to pick the same team from one week to the next.
“If I can do that quite regularly between now and the end of the season, it’s going to give us a better chance of winning games.”
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