THIS COULD BE a weekend to remember for Torquay United stalwart Lee Mansell.

Not only is Mansell, the Gulls' longest-serving player, poised to make his 150th league appearance for the club against Crewe Alexandra at Plainmoor this afternoon, but his wife Michelle is about to give birth to their second child.

"We've had a few false starts already, and we're expecting the baby to be born any day," said Mansell, 27.

"I'm hoping Michelle can hang on until Sunday at least!"

Former Luton Town and Oxford United player Mansell is especially keen to play today, not least because he's relishing his restoration to a central midfield role.

Now in his fourth season at Plainmoor, Mansell is back in the position where he played when ex-Gulls boss Ian Atkins signed him in the summer of 2006.

For most of last season and this, United manager Paul Buckle has used Mansell at right-back.

But now Mansell says: "I'm loving playing in midfield again, however long it lasts.

"I think I needed it, to be honest, especially with the arrival of Smudge (Adam Smith) and Robbo (Chris Robertson) doing well at right-back of late.

"Sometimes you can get stuck in your ways a bit.

"There's a good fight for competition in midfield between myself, Nicky (Wroe) and Ty (Tyrone Thompson).

"It's nice to be back in the mix of midfield.

"I'm somebody who likes to be involved in the game as much as possible, and there's always something going on in midfield."

Crewe yesterday signed 18-year-old Bolton Wanderers starlet Chris Stokes on a month's loan.

Stokes is a left-back, where the Alex currently have selection problems.

The decision of Plymouth Argyle to recall United's on-loan striker Ashley Barnes is almost certain to prompt Buckle to seek a replacement.

Scott Rendell has only just recovered from five weeks out with a broken arm, and United have no other natural centre-forward.

Chris Zebroski and Elliot Benyon are the club's only other specialist strikers, and Buckle does not regard three forwards as enough.

With eleven games to go, United are not yet safe from relegation.

Buckle has hinted this week that he still has room in his budget to add another player.

And the closure of the loan transfer window looms in two-and-a-half weeks' time.

Meanwhile, the Football League has announced the appointment of Greg Clarke, 52, as successor to retiring chairman Lord Mawhinney.

Clarke is a former chief executive of Cable & Wireless Communications, a lifelong Leicester City fan and ex-director and chairman of the Foxes.