Ebbsfleet United face their biggest match of the season this weekend when they clash with title rivals Sutton United.

Saturday’s game at The PHB Stadium brings together two clubs determined to win promotion to the Vanarama Conference, having both reached the play-offs last season.

Fleet boss Steve Brown knows Sutton will be one of the sides to beat again and wants supporters to acknowledge the strength of opposition in the division this term.

He said: "You only have to look back at the history of this league to see that Sutton are pushing every year and I’d say that’s no different this year.

"Bromley, Sutton, Havant, Whitehawk, Basingstoke – they’re all good sides. There’s a little bit of naivety sometimes to think that they’re not. Sometimes people think there’s a divine right to walk away with the league and there’s not. You have to beat some good sides along the way."

Ebbsfleet skipper Daryl McMahon has completed his three-match ban and is available on Saturday, while Chris Sessegnon has recovered from a hamstring problem.

However, Alex Osborn is struggling with an injury and Brown is continuing to assess Shane Huke and Lloyd Harrington. Ben May and Michael West are out
long-term.

Brown said: "When this squad’s fully-fit and there’s competition for places, it’ll be even better. We know we’re only going to get better as we start getting fitter.

"But it seems to me that in modern-day football, there’s a real impatience – not just here,
anywhere. You ask any manager up and down the country, the volume of criticism and impatience around football at the moment is incredible."

Read the full story in the Gravesend Messenger.