Joe Ellul suffered a suspected fractured cheekbone as Maidstone’s wretched luck with injuries continued at Boreham Wood.

Defender Ellul took a whack in the face midway through the first half of the Stones’ 3-1 defeat.

He attempted to play on after treatment to a nasty-looking cut but had to be replaced minutes later.

Already it seems unlikely he’ll be involved at Barnet on Tuesday night.

“He got a kick in the face, he’s got a big lump, his cheekbone might be fractured,” said boss Hakan Hayrettin.

Jack Barham was ruled out on Friday after suffering a knock in training, while new loan signing Dylan Barkers only played at the last minute after coming through a fitness test.

“He was limping near the end - I had to take him off,” said Hayrettin, who signed Barkers from League 1 Cheltenham on Friday.

“He wasn’t fully fit but I had no choice but to play him. It was a touch and go.

“I know his agent really well, DJ Campbell, and we’ve had him watched.

“We thought we needed that little bit of security in front of the back four and we got that.

“We think he did OK, it was balls from out wide which hurt us today.

“It seems we can’t stop the ball coming into the box and we’re getting punished.”

That was exactly what happened as Maidstone, despite taking the leading through Roarie Deacon, left Meadow Park empty-handed and slipped to 18th in National League.

Substitute George Williams levelled direct from a cross minutes later and George Broadbent and Lee Ndlovu met second-half crosses for high-flying Wood.

Deacon received a second yellow card in added time - Hayrettin had no complaints - and will serve a one-game ban at Barnet.

“We went 1-0 up, we shouldn’t have conceded in the manner we did,” said Hayrettin.

“Second half, to concede the goals we did, it’s just really disheartening because we worked so hard to stay in the game and that happens.

• Report: Boreham Wood 3-1 Maidstone

“But this injury crisis we’ve got is getting bigger and bigger and it’s quite frustrating because I can’t even get out what I want on the pitch.

“We’ll be fine, it’s just quite difficult because I’ve got 50% of my team who would start, out.

“That’s the reality at the moment and I’ve just got to fight with it and go with it.

“Even today, Joe Ellul comes off at a crucial moment in the game and we’ve had to put someone else in, but take nothing away from Boreham Wood.

“First half, I thought we did well but it’s both boxes, isn’t it?

“Seventy-five per cent of your goals come in the six-yard box. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.”