MICHAEL Doughty could finally be set for a return to Swindon Town’s starting XI for this weekend’s home tie against Mansfield following a near six-week absence with a mysterious hip injury.

Doughty, 25, last featured for Town in the 1-0 Checkatrade Trophy win at home against Newport County on September 11 – but has since dipped in and out of training sessions after voicing his discomfort when moving at speed on his hip.

Swindon have lost only two of the nine competitive fixtures in which the former Peterborough midfielder has featured in – a statistic that can largely be pinned on Doughty himself given the six goals he produced in those fixtures.

After completing a full 90 minutes in Town’s behind-closed-doors friendly against a youthful Oxford side on Tuesday, Doughty looks set to feature in some capacity this weekend – though at the same time Brown will not take an unnecessary risk with his star midfielder.

He said: “Michael (Doughty) needed an extended warm down day yesterday following Tuesday’s friendly (against Oxford).

“His target on Tuesday was to get 60 or 70 minutes under his belt. I asked him if he was okay and he said he wanted more minutes.

“Saturday (against Mansfield) will be a proper game of football, Tuesday’s friendly had a slow tempo with new lads mixing with senior professionals – it was a little bit stop-start.

“Where Michael is concerned, he would have been slightly demotivated by the game. But he got through his target.”

Competition in the attacking berth is also ripe ahead of David Flitcroft’s return to the County Ground.

Kaiyne Woolery, who has featured from the bench in Town’s previous two fixtures, also completed a full 90 minutes on Tuesday after missing all of Swindon’s pre-season schedule and competitive fixtures up until Tuesday, October 9.

“Where Kaiyne (Woolery) is concerned, he ran through a brick wall (against Oxford),” said Brown.

“He went down in a heap on 25 minutes though and I feared the worst. The game was stopped for a drinks break. I went down to the tunnel area and he was getting a different sensation – it was a case of building confidence in his knee.

“He got 90 minutes, which is a massive bonus.”

Meanwhile defensively, Brown faces a selection headache with Sid Nelson ready to return after being ruled out of the last three games with a hip injury.

Skipper Olly Lancashire and teenagers Joe Romanski and Luke Woolfenden have also staked their claim for a spot in the starting line-up.

Brown said: “Sid (Nelson) is at a different area with regards to his injury – he had played nine games on the bounce and has missed the last three.

“Getting a hard and controlled training session under his belt on Tuesday was more suitable for him getting back into the starting XI for Saturday.

“The competition for the back three, four or five on Saturday is very healthy.”