Kevin Nolan has revealed that strike pair Shola Ameobi and Jon Stead face a race against time to be involved in Notts County's FA Cup second-round tie against Oxford City this Saturday.

Stead limped out of the 1-1 draw at Yeovil Town earlier in the month with a leg injury, while Ameobi has only recently returned from a knock himself.

In addition to the veteran front pairing, Callum Saunders is also recovering from a bout of flu.

"Steady is recovering slowly but surely," Nolan told the official Notts site. "We'll see in the next 24-48 hours whether or not he'll have a chance to be available.

"Shola is the same, he's been carrying a groin injury, so both of them will be assessed late on, but it's very doubtful.

"Apart from that we have a clean bill of health, which I'm very pleased about going into this stage of the season.

"To only have one player with a slight strain and another with a contact injury, which can't be helped, is an absolute testament to the work all the staff behind the scenes have been doing."

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Former Notts County defender Michael Johnson has stated that a Rooney Rule in football will allow black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) coaches to showcase their talent.

Despite BAME footballers constituting almost 30 per cent of players, the percentage of BAME senior coaches at professional football clubs currently stands at 4.6 per cent.

At present, there are five BAME managers in the top four divisions - Keith Curle, Chris Hughton, Nuno Espirito Santo, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Jack Lester.

Named after former Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney and introduced in 2003, the rule states that at least one ethnic minority candidate must be interviewed for each senior coaching position.

Johnson praised the Football League for the Rooney Rule scheme it piloted last season, which he said has resulted in an "uplift" in the number of BAME coaches recruited for academy coaching roles.

But the under-representation of BAME coaches in first-team managerial positions remains an issue, and Johnson believes the implementation of the rule would help address the disparity.

"We're not saying anybody because you're black or because you're Asian should get a job," Johnson told Sky Sports News. "No, absolutely not.

"What we are saying is that it would be great just to get an opportunity to be in the interview room and just be part of that interview process. Just let somebody look at you and see what you're all about.

"At the minute, there are not enough black or Asian coaches getting through the door to be allowed to showcase their skills. The Rooney Rule would be a remedy."

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What's been happening in League Two over the last week?

Here is Pride of Nottingham's round-up of the biggest League Two news from the last seven days.

- Talented Coventry City winger Jodi Jones, 20, will miss the rest of the season with a cruciate ligament injury after being taken off on a stretcher in last week's draw with Stevenage.

- Cambridge United boss Shaun Derry revealed midfielder Gary Deegan played three matches with a broken foot before finally succumbing to the injury, which is expected to rule him out for several weeks.

- Former Crawley Town head coach Dermot Drummy died aged just 56, with his son Joe confirming the tragic news on social media.

- Former Chelsea, Coventry City, Queens Park Rangers, Plymouth Argyle and Cambridge United full-back Allan Harris passed away aged 74.

- Mansfield Town have begun work on a £2m training facility in Pleasley, which is expected to be completed by the start of next season.

- Crawley Town head coach Harry Kewell insists that he 'loves the club and everything about it', a week after an incident in which he appeared to square up to one of his team's fans after an away defeat.

- Swindon Town defender Ben Purkiss was elected chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association, taking over over from Sheffield FC player Ritchie Humphreys as the head of the football players' union.

- Crewe Alexandra midfielder Ryan Wintle, 20, has signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract with the Cheshire club. He has made 11 appearances for his side this season but is currently out of action with a stress fracture of his tibia.

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Kevin Nolan has stated that any player in the Notts County setup who gets too big for their boots will be brought back to earth with “a real big bang” - but knows there will be no need because they won't.

The Magpies are currently level on points with Luton Town at the top of League Two, with the two sides meeting next weekend following this Saturday's FA Cup tie with Oxford City.

Nolan insists that the Magpies have a “special” team spirit, and is determined to keep it that way in the second half of the season, but does not want anyone to get carried away.

“We’ve played against a few good sides and we’ve had a few good hidings along the way. We’ve just got to concentrate on ourselves,” he told the Nottingham Post.

“We’ve got a good bunch of lads and I feel if we’re on form we can be a match for anyone on our day.

“We can’t look at anyone else, we’ve just got to look at us. It’s about keeping our feet on the ground, because we know how easily it can all change.

“The most important thing is that everyone in this club knows how easily it can change. Last year we were doing really well, then went on a run which was the reason why I got this job.

“It can quite easily go the other way. We’ve just got to keep doing what we’ve been doing, enjoy it but don’t get carried away.

“I’ll be the one bringing them firmly back down to the ground with a real big bang if I do feel they are getting too big for their boots – but they won’t because they’re a good bunch and all really level-headed lads. They all do it themselves, so it makes my job easier.”

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Oxford City defender Freddie Grant is relishing the chance to go up against one of his old friends in Jorge Grant when the non-leaguers face Notts County in the FA Cup on Saturday.

The National League South outfit overcame Colchester United in round one and will travel to Nottingham this weekend for the second-round tie against the Magpies.

“Jorge grew up in Oxford, I’m from Reading and we have a few mutual friends so as soon as the draw was made we were messaging each other,” Freddie told the Post.

“We haven’t spoken about football in too much detail, though we’ve talked about it being on television.

“It’s going to be a massive game for the both of us and I think he’s been playing on the right so we could come up against each other.

“We’ve got the same last name, it’s going to be fun. It’ll be the first time we’ll play with names on the back of our shirts, so it’ll be weird having Grant on the right wing and Grant at left-back, so that’ll be confusing for the commentators!

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Carlton Cole has named Notts County boss and former teammate Kevin Nolan as one of his role models for making a name for himself in coaching and management.

The 34-year-old, who is currently a free agent after a five-month stint at Indonesian club Persib Bandung, played alongside Nolan at West Ham.

Cole is not thinking of retirement just yet but, approaching the twilight of his playing career, he has an eye on becoming a manager for when he does hang up his boots.

"I want to keep playing but now is the time to really take coaching seriously," Cole told Goal.com. "I am a proud guy. Once my legs go, I don’t want to be overtaken by young kids. I don’t want to be the granddad of football. I want to just look at my other options in the game. I am only 34 years old so I can still play.

"John Terry is the same age and playing and coaching on the side. I want to do the same thing. John has played at every level. He was England captain. I have always looked up to him since I was young in the Chelsea youth team. I want to go down the same path but in my own way.

"Kevin Nolan is another player that I know. He’s at Notts County and has been very successful. He won Manager of the Month. I look at myself in that sort of ilk and I hope to do that. I have applied for my level two coaching badges. I start that in January.

"I'm working at Ask Godders Academy at the moment to help footballers who have dropped out of the game or youngsters who slipped through the net. I will get experience at this academy. It is one of the best academies in London. I have done talks and coaching sessions with them.

"It would be a crime to not share my knowledge of what I learned in football with these kids. I want to get involved in football and get as far as I can in coaching."

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Oxford City defender Freddie Grant has expressed his delight at the prospect of playing at Meadow Lane as his side prepares for an FA Cup meeting with Notts County.

The non-league side overcame Colchester United in round one and will now travel to Nottingham for the second-round tie against the Magpies.

Grant, who is the nephew of former Notts manager Martin Allen and also friends with his namesake Jorge, has described the game as massive and insists his side will not be intimidated by the Kop.

“The ground and the crowd are certainly motivating all of our team. Our team gets encouraged by that and we’re not too afraid by that,” Grant told the Nottingham Post.

“It’s massive and because I’m only 20 years old, I only had a year in professional football and never played at such an historic ground.

“For a 20-year-old or ones coming to the end of their career, every single one of us is going to be buzzing to play at Meadow Lane - the massive Kop behind the goal is something we rarely see.

“It’s massive, you’re pinching yourself up until it actually happens.”

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Notts County boss Kevin Nolan has praised the fitness levels of his players, insisting that the last-gasp 2-1 win over Colchester United is testament of that.

The Magpies did not let their heads drop after conceding an 89th-minute equaliser to the U's on Saturday and persevered right until the end, when Ryan Yates struck the winner.

"I'm delighted with what they're doing at the minute and I'm sure all the fans are going home proud of them for what they have achieved so far," Nolan told the Nottingham Post.

"These lads have played three games in a week and you can see how fit they are and how strongly they are finishing games.

"Wherever I have been successful in my career we have never given up and we have always run ourselves into the ground - today was another example of that.

"It shows the character of the team and that's what has impressed me most again. I witness it day in, day out.

"They have shown over the course of the season so far that they have togetherness, a willingness not to be beaten and they don't stop."

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Colchester United wing-back Ryan Jackson has claimed that his side "outplayed" and "outbattled" Notts County on Saturday, despite leaving Meadow Lane with nothing to show for it.

Shola Ameobi's penalty had given the Magpies the lead but substitute Sanmi Odelusi looked to have salvaged a point for the U's with his 89th-minute strike.

However, there was time for more drama as Ryan Yates glanced home a header to claim all three points for Notts for a 2-1 win and keep them level on points with top-placed League Two side Luton Town.

Jackson told the Daily Gazette: “We deserved a lot more from the game than we got. We worked very hard and played very good football.

“But it was just one of those games where if chances had gone our way, we could have come out winning the game. But sometimes that’s just football and you don’t get what you deserve.

“We outplayed them and we out-battled them and I think we had way too much for them but we didn’t turn those goals into a win.

“We worked our socks off to try and get a goal and when we did, we felt like we were going to get at least a point from the match.

“Credit to Sanmi – he’s worked very hard and that’s when you’ve got to see the game out but it just wasn’t meant to be.

"It was one of those where there was a lapse in concentration. Someone has obviously left their runner and they’ve punished us. We’ve been defending so well and it was just one dip in concentration that led to the goal.”

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A "buzzing" Ryan Yates hailed Notts County's last-gasp 2-1 win over Colchester United on Saturday and believes the team's strength in attack and mentality was crucial in the final stages of the game to forge more chances.

Shola Ameobi gave the Magpies the lead in the second half via a penalty before Ross Fitzsimons kept out a U's spot kick of their own, but the visitors struck in the 89th minute to seemingly give them a share of the points.

Yates, however, rattled home a header in the 94th minute to claim victory and keep Notts hot on the heels of Luton Town, both teams on the same amount of points but the Hatters' goal difference keeping them top.

"I'm absolutely buzzing," Yates told the Nottingham Post. "We dominated the second half and got sucker-punched on the counter for their goal. But to come back and win shows the spirit of the team.

"They were a good side. They did both sides of the game really well. They were winning more second balls, putting it in behind us and making things difficult.

"We came in disappointed at half-time but had some firm words from the gaffer and put in a better performance in the second half.

"I know the quality in the squad - our attacking players are unbelievable - so there was always going to be another chance. It fell for me and thankfully I've put it in.

"All credit has to go to the boys. Lewis Alessandra has flicked it on and I was in the right place at the right time.

"Seven points from nine is a good return from the week. With the mentality we have, we're gutted not to have the full nine."

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Kevin Nolan has hailed Notts County's "fantastic win" against Colchester United and said his players are showing the right character to be towards the top of the league.

Shola Ameobi's penalty had given the Magpies the lead but substitute Sanmi Odelusi looked to have salvaged a point for the U's with his 89th-minute strike.

However, there was time for more drama as Ryan Yates glanced home a header to claim all three points for Notts for a 2-1 win and keep them level on points with top-placed League Two side Luton Town.

“This is a fantastic win for us because Colchester are a good outfit,” Nolan told the official Notts site. “It’s a seven-point week for us and I am absolutely delighted with it.

“They played us really well in the first half and we couldn’t get any momentum or creativity going.

“But I thought we dominated the second and I thought we had some really good chances.

“I thought we were well worthy of the win, but it just shows you the character that we kept going after conceding such a late equaliser.

“I’ve spoken about this team’s character and what they have showed me is they have it in abundance and togetherness.

“They have a willingness not to get beat and you have seen that consistently throughout the season.

“They are embracing being at the top end of the league. They are sticking together when we are not playing so well and that is a great trait to have as a team.”

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Alan Hardy has urged "everyone" - Notts County fans, both committed and lapsed, Nottingham Forest fans, and whoever else - to get down to Meadow Lane today and take advantage of the £10 tickets for the Colchester United game.

The Magpies remain within touching distance of top spot in League Two and, should they win against the U's and better Luton Town's result, they will go back to the summit.

In his weekly Nottingham Post column, Hardy wrote: "We come into the fixture joint-top on points, with only goal difference separating us and Luton Town. We also have a proud home record to protect, having tasted defeat at the Lane only once in the league since Kevin Nolan and I arrived in January.

"There is a real sense that something special is brewing at Notts County and, by lowering ticket prices this weekend, I urge everyone to come along and see the brilliant work that’s going on at the world’s oldest Football League club.

"For Forest fans, it’s another opportunity to track the amazing progress of Ryan Yates and Jorge Grant, and for those with a general passion for football it’s a chance to watch a side who have chalked up 11 goals in their last three home matches.

"But my loudest call is to our lapsed supporters – those who perhaps felt disengaged during previous regimes but whose interest has been reignited by our recent form and good work off the field.

"I accept we’re still at the beginning of a long journey as a club but now is the time to get behind the team to help them keep up the amazing form which has seen us go from flirting with relegation to dreaming of promotion in only a matter of months.

"Our collective disappointment at Tuesday night’s draw at Yeovil Town shows just how far this club has come in such a short space of time. Twelve months ago we’d have been delighted with a point, but now we have come to expect more.

"This is a new, ambitious Notts County. Why wait until after Christmas to see if we’re still up there? We need your support now to keep the momentum going."

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Kevin Nolan is optimistic that Notts County duo Adam Collin and Michael O'Connor will come back to the “top of their game” after providing an update on their return from long-term injuries.

O’Connor has been sidelined since April because of a serious knee injury, while Collin has been absent after suffering a knee injury of his own in last month’s win over Barnet.

"Michael has been on an anti-gravity treadmill which has allowed him to run in straight lines," Nolan told the Nottingham Post.

"Losing him was a massive blow to us and having him in the squad this year would have put us on another level because of his quality and what he brings to the team.

"Adam's swelling has gone down and he's meeting with the specialist so we will have more news soon.

“We're hopeful he will come out of the brace so he can start getting back to work sooner rather than later.

"He has been fantastic since I walked through the door and he has taken his performances to another level this season after finishing last season strongly.

"The most important thing is we get them back at the top of their game and we are not putting them under any stress to ensure there is no recurrence of their injuries.

"They're two massive characters but it's brilliant to see how well the lads have coped without them."

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Kevin Nolan has expressed his wholehearted support for Richard Duffy after the Notts County captain conceded a penalty at Yeovil Town on Tuesday night.

The Magpies had edged ahead through Jonathan Forte at Huish Park but were pegged back after Duffy brought down Francois Zoko in the area and the ex-Notts forward converted from the spot for a 1-1 final result.

Nolan admits that the Welshman was upset with himself over the decision, but said such slip-ups happen and insisted that the defender's positive contributions over the course of the season have been plentiful.

“Richard was disappointed because he gave the penalty away, but it happens,” the manager told the Nottingham Post.

“He has kept us in games and has been fantastic this year. He is our skipper and we are all in it together. We all win together, we all lose together, we all draw together.

“But, at the end of the day, I am at that happy medium again where I am not going to get too disheartened about Tuesday.

“I was just disappointed for the lads because I felt they had done enough to come away with three points.”

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Two tickets for Notts County's League Two encounter against Crawley Town are up for grabs as part of a fundraising drive for St John's Ambulance.

Simon Murray was given two tickets for the fixture, scheduled for 6 January at Meadow Lane, by the club with the aim of raising money for the cause.

He got in touch via Pride of Nottingham to promote a charity raffle, which can be entered with a donation of just £3.

Simon, an Everton fan living in Nottingham, wrote on the PON forum: "Your club have been kind enough to donate two home match tickets for your match against Crawley Town to me, as I'm raising funds for St John's Ambulance.

"I am hoping to get enough interest to raffle the tickets off via your forum. All 'sales' will essentially be a donation directly to my JustGiving page.

"I've used my extremely limited knowledge of your current squad (gathered from a combination of seeing you dispatch a young Everton side in the EFL trophy, sitting through a 1-0 win over Swindon in the pouring rain, and a bunch of Channel 5 highlights), and thrown in a few apparent club legends (based solely on Wikipedia), to gather a list of 20 names.

"The idea is that you donate £3 to the page, and pick a player from the list. Once all names have gone, I'll add them all to the following website, and generate a winner.

"I've got a voucher from the club at the moment. I can contact them and leave the contact details of the winner for collection (I will send the covering letter and voucher in the post as well), or can arrange to collect the tickets myself and post them out. I've attached a picture of the letter received, just to give peace of mind.

"All help and support is very much appreciated. I'll be sure to check back regularly and mark what names have gone. The closing date for entry is 17th December 2017, and I will draw from whatever names have been sold on this date."

To see the names that are still available, and for more information, here is the link for the original post on the PON forum.

Speaking to Simon, he told PON of his decision to share his fundraising on this site: "I had a look over a couple of forums, but this one seemed like an active and friendly bunch. Reminds me of the old days of a since disbanded Everton forum ran on the Bluekipper fan site. Despite Kieran Dowell's efforts for Forest I think County have definitely become my adopted team of the area after the generosity of the club and yourselves!"

With the Magpies continuing to go from strength to strength under Kevin Nolan and boasting impressive home form, the opportunity to win two tickets for just £3 is one not to be missed!

But don't forget - the closing date is Sunday 17 December so get in there quick! Chris and JJ have already made donations, and with all the great work St John's Ambulance does, it's a very noble cause that deserves all our support!

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Shaun Brisley has admitted that he is thoroughly enjoying his time at Notts County and believes his decision to leave Carlisle United has been justified.

The 27-year-old left Brunton Park in the summer to join Kevin Nolan - with whom he worked at Leyton Orient - at Meadow Lane.

Brisley has established himself as a mainstay of the Notts defence, putting in impressive performances week in, week out and helping the Magpies to the upper echelons of League Two.

"It wasn't going to be an easy choice to leave Carlisle, who made the play-offs last season," Brisley told the official Notts website.

"But I had to come to a team who I thought would be pushing for promotion. Notts County was that team.

"I'm enjoying my football, which helps massively. I feel as though I have come in and done well but there is still plenty of room for improvement. I'm still working on my weaknesses to ensure I keep getting better.

"Richard (Duffy) and I have been playing to the best of our ability for most of the season so long may that continue.

"Part of the understanding we have between each other comes naturally and some of it comes from work on the training ground.

"We complement each other well. We both have different strengths and weaknesses, which even themselves out."

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Kevin Nolan has reiterated that Notts County want Jorge Grant to remain at Meadow Lane until the end of the season but insists that he doesn't "have to convince anyone to stay".

The Nottingham Forest midfielder's deal with the Magpies runs until the end of the campaign but the Reds have an option to recall him in January.

Grant has developed immensely as a footballer at Notts since his first loan spell last season and currently tops the League Two scoring charts with 13 goals, and Nolan believes that the youngster knows he's come a long way over the Trent.

“I don’t have to convince anyone to stay,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “If Jorge wants to stay he stays, if he doesn’t, he doesn’t.

“We want him here, he knows that. Jorge is enjoying his time here and knows that he is loved by everybody at the club.

“He is thriving in this environment so why would you want to take yourself out of it?

“If he goes anywhere else he has to make sure he is the number one man there or he is one of their top, top, players.

“He’s got an environment that will help him develop as a player on and off the field.

“I can only advise Jorge what I feel would be the best for him. I speak to him and his dad about that and I wouldn’t stand in his way if he had that offer if it was somebody who would help him get to that next level.

“But at this minute in time, the best thing for Jorge is to be here. The more he stays with us, the more he will keep thriving.”

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What's been happening in League Two over the last week?

Here is Pride of Nottingham's round-up of the biggest League Two news from the last seven days.

- Sky Bet and EFL signed a new five-year headline sponsorship deal, which runs through to the 2023/24 season - it will see a 20 per cent year-on-year increase from 2019/20 on the current deal and will see the partnership extended to 11 years.

- Coventry City midfielder Jordan Shipley won the Sky Bet League Two Goal of the Month award for October, receiving 47 per cent of the public vote for his free kick against Luton Town.

- Crawley Town manager Harry Kewell was involved in a confrontation with one of his team's fans following the 4-0 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers, having to be pulled back by players and stewards, and went on to issue an apology "for any misunderstanding".

- The EFL has confirmed that Checkatrade Trophy matches up to the quarter-finals of this season's competition will be streamed live online on iFollow, starting with the 16 second-round ties in December. The semi-finals and final will be shown on Sky Sports.

- Grimsby Town issued a statement insisting that Curtis Woodhouse was not being given the first-team job at the club and was merely attending a first-team training session. Taking aim at Matt Dean of Radio Humberside, the statement claimed that had they "taken the time to properly research and report on this, they would have realised that this speculation is unfounded and undermines the current management staff at the club."

- Former Wales international Christian Ribeiro, who has played for a number of lower-league clubs including Exeter City and enjoyed loan spells at the likes of Colchester United and Carlisle United, has retired aged just 27 due to a knee injury.

All news stories sourced from BBC Sport and Sky Sports.

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Kevin Nolan has confirmed that Jon Stead suffered a dead leg in Notts County's 1-1 draw with Yeovil Town on Tuesday night.

The 34-year-old had to be substituted in the first half of the League Two encounter at Huish Park following a collision with Omar Sowunmi, Jonathan Forte taking his place up front.

“Steady got a horrible knock on his thigh,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “He’s got a big bump on it and we will be assessing it over the next 24 to 48 hours.

“It just depends on his recovery powers. The medical team will get down to work icing it and given how fit he is, I am hoping it won’t be a massive thing.

“These are nasty injuries. People will say it’s only a dead leg but it’s on his quad and he will be using that a lot.

“We have to be careful. We don’t want to rush him back and he pulls that thigh because it will be weakened because of the bruising. We will do what is right for him and right for us.”

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Sid Nelson faces disciplinary action if he is found guilty of violent conduct after being sent off in the closing stages of Yeovil Town’s 1-1 draw with Notts County, manager Darren Way has confirmed.

The defender, on loan from Millwall, was shown a straight red card for an elbow on Ryan Yates in the Magpies box, and could be hit with a three-match suspension.

With Yeovil now having seen four players sent off in their last four matches, Way has warned Nelson that he faces a heavy punishment unless he is cleared of foul play.

Way told Somerset Live after Tuesday night's game at Huish Park: “To be honest, I haven’t seen it.

“He’s denying it but I’m sure if he’s proven guilty there’s got to be a maximum fine on this one, but I warned the players that. I said if a player gets caught again, they’ll be disciplined.

“I think two of [the red cards] I would be worried about, [Bevis] Mugabi and Sid’s, if it proves to be the case.

“When you’re coming up against the opposition, they’re clever enough to instigate that, but at the same time you’ve got to be clever enough not to react.

“I’m disappointed with that, very disappointed, but I’ll make sure behind the scenes that he will be heavily fined.”

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Kevin Nolan has bemoaned the referee in Notts County's 1-1 draw at Yeovil Town for missing a penalty which could have put the visitors two goals up.

After substitute Jonathan Forte had put the Magpies ahead late in the first half, Lewis Alessandra’s flick appeared to be handled by Sid Nelson, but Dean Whitestone failed to spot the incident.

The Glovers went on to repel a series of Notts attacks in the second half before pulling level through a penalty of their own, converted by former Magpie Francois Zoko after he was hauled down by Richard Duffy.

“I think we should have had all three points,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “I thought the referee missed a penalty. It was a blatant handball.

"And I am massively disappointed that I am talking about the referee when I don’t want to go on about them because they have a hard job.

“The lad has handled in the area so I am majorly disappointed. Then for their penalty I thought it was soft and it looked like he couldn’t wait to give it really.

“It was disappointing from our end because I didn’t feel we were under too much pressure from them.”

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Kevin Nolan has reiterated that Notts County are still a team in transition and is still working towards the target of having enough points to beat the drop.

The Magpies continue to sit top of League Two after more than a third of the way into the season, with 37 points - two more than second-placed Luton Town - from their first 18 games.

Their 3-1 win over Cheltenham Town at the weekend was their 11th league victory of the campaign, but Nolan maintains that the targets will be reassessed once they reach 50 points, depending on how quickly they do so.

"We will keep working away as we know how hard it is and we are not pretending we have got it or cracked it," Nolan, whose side take on Yeovil Town away tonight, told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"As I keep saying, we are a team in transition who is trying to work hard to maintain a fantastic start.

"If we can keep doing well and get to 50 points as quickly as possible then we can reassess. Then we can start looking at other targets and what we want from this season."

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