Darlington manager Mick Tait may have a bit more time on his hands in the dressing room today.

It was perhaps inevitable that at some point this season Tait would be left with a squad reduced to the bare bones.

Today his team picks itself, thanks largely to the strict wage structure imposed by chairman George Reynolds during the summer, despite having promised fans that he would be going "flat out" in his bid to take Quakers up the Football League ladder.

Quakers parted company with eight first-team players at the end of last season, and while Tait eventually managed to lure five new faces to the Reynolds Arena during a frustrating summer in the transfer market, only Joey Hutchinson has established himself as a first-team regular.

Tait has 15 professionals available today with his side ravaged by injury and suspension.

Summer signings Erdem Artun (knee) and Fabian Bossy (calf) are out, along with winger Neil Wainwright, who has failed to recover from an ankle injury in time.

Striker Danny Mellanby starts a three-match ban following his sending off at Torquay a fortnight ago, while midfielder Gary Pearson serves the second game of a four-match ban.

"The squad, at the moment, is as small as it's ever been," said Tait. "We knew that it would be difficult but it is just something we have to get on with."

Tait's hopes of welcoming back Andy Collett suffered a major blow yesterday when it was discovered the goalkeeper had suffered a punctured lung.

He had just recovered from a shoulder injury when, after suffering from pains, he was admitted into hospital, where his latest injury was diagnosed.

"We have no idea how it's happened but obviously it's very bad news for us," said Tait. "We think he could be in hospital for a week and possibly out for a month."

Collett missed eight games of last season with a rib injury and during that time Quakers had no fewer than four goalkeepers - three of them loan signings.

However, Tait will not be making any moves into the transfer market until he learns the full extent of Collett's latest injury blow.

With second-choice goalkeeper Michael Price proving to be a more than able replacement, Tait feels the former Leicester stopper deserves his place. He has not conceded a goal in his three outings this season.

""It would be quite difficult to bring in a loan keeper just to play in the reserves," said Tait.

"When the need comes we'll get someone. Price has proved to us in the games he's played that he can do a job."

Tait has added 16-year-old goalkeeper Jack Norton and midfielder Michael Coghlan to today's squad, as Quakers look to extend their unbeaten run in the League to seven games.

But Tait believes fifth-placed Mansfield, who won 3-1 at Bristol Rovers in midweek, will provide a stern test.

"I think they've rattled in 25 goals already," said Tait. "We'll go there and be solid defensively but we've also got to look at our attacking options because we do want to win the game if we can."

A win for Quakers would end their dismal away record, which has seen them fail to win away in the league since March.

But Tait has been encouraged by their recent away form, which has seen them claim draws at York and Torquay with ten men, as well as a battling display in the Carling Cup defeat at Wolves.

Mansfield welcome back midfielder Lee Williamson after a three-match ban but defender Bobby Hassell is a major doubt