Maidstone United head coach Hakan Hayrettin highlights injuries after FA Trophy defeat by Stockport County
09:54, 27 February 2019
updated: 09:56, 27 February 2019
Maidstone head coach Hakan Hayrettin highlighted the club's injury list after their FA Trophy quarter-final exit.
Will De Havilland, Elliott Romain and Rob Swaine joined George McLennan and Jack Richards on the sidelines, while Jake Robinson, Justin Amaluzor and Josh Taylor were cup-tied.
It made life difficult although Ollie Muldoon was back in the starting XI and Blair Turgott and Dion-Curtis Henry were fit enough for the bench as Maidstone lost 3-0 to Stockport in Tuesday night's replay.
Hayrettin said: "We're down to the bare bones. We’ve had to put kids on the bench, we’ve had to put players in who possibly aren’t quite ready but we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do and if we’re being honest with ourselves in certain areas they were better than us and probably deserved to win.
"We’ve got a lot of players out.
"That’s no excuse but we’ve got a lot of players out.
"If we had all those players at our disposal it may be different.
"Listen, we’ll take one game at a time, we’ve got to be upbeat, we’ve got to be on it, we’ve got to come to work on Thursday with a smile on our faces, we’ve got to pick the players up and we’ve got to go to work again. It’s as simple as that.
"It’s no different at any other football club, no one likes to lose, especially at home, and no one likes to lose in the manner that we lost tonight.
"It’s just a curse at the moment I think, every game we’re getting two or three players injured."
At least Maidstone have their captain back after 14-goal leading scorer Turgott returned as a half-time substitute after three months out.
He's been sorely missed and Hayrettin said: "Injuries don't help and he’s been out for a long time.
"He’s been a starlet here and we need to get him back as quickly as possible. Hopefully he can get some goals.
"He’s a good player. He needs minutes, doesn’t he?
"No one’s going to find their feet straight away but we’re going to have to force the issue maybe."
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