An injury to Alex Osborn has forced Ebbsfleet manager Steve Brown back into the transfer market.

Osborn limped off at Hayes & Yeading on Saturday, having also been in the wars against St Albans City a week earlier. He missed Tuesday's trip to Weston-super-Mare.

In all three games, striker Matty Godden deputised for Osborn on the right-wing but Brown knows that isn't a long-term solution.

Ebbsfleet have two home games this week - against Charlton in the Kent Senior Cup on Wednesday and then promotion rivals Sutton in Vanarama Conference South on Saturday.

Asked how Osborn was, Brown said: "He's struggling and he’ll rest up. He’ll play no part on Wednesday and I doubt very much whether he’ll be fit for next Saturday.

"We’ll probably have to dip into the loan market or look around and see what’s about because it’s an area we are light in.

"I can’t keep asking a striker to fill in there. Matty loves it attack-wise, he’ll win his aerial battles and he’ll drive at a full-back, but defensively, that’s not what he wants to be out on the pitch doing. At the moment, we’re asking a guy to fill in and do a job and he’s done it magnificently well.

"But there’s a little imbalance to our squad. We are a little bit light in wide areas. Sometimes I can push (Chris) Sessegnon forward into that position but we haven’t had that luxury."

Sessegnon, who started the season at right-back, has a hamstring problem and he's just one of several other Fleet players on a lengthy injury list.

Brown was also missing Michael Corcoran, Lloyd Harrington, Ben May and Michael West on Saturday, while Shane Huke was only fit enough for the bench.

Fleet captain Daryl McMahon, meanwhile, completes his three-match ban on Wednesday.