Scott Donnelly has given Margate some welcome news by pledging his future to the club.

The 28-year-old midfielder is recuperating from a knee operation at the moment but hopes to be back playing within the next fortnight.

He has pencilled in the home game against Oxford City on November 19 for his comeback and says he cannot wait to put the frustration of his injury lay-off behind him.

The former QPR youngster had barely missed a game in the past four seasons before having keyhole surgery to repair a torn meniscus on October 26.

Donnelly explained: “I did it at Bishop’s Stortford (on September 10) and played the week later against Biggleswade but on the Monday I could barely walk which set the alarm bells ringing.

“I tried to play against Hastings but I was a million miles away so I thought I’d better get a scan.

“I was sure and so was the physio that it was not my old ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury because I had played a game on it initially.

“It was annoying as much as anything. There was not a huge amount of pain when I was running, it was more when I was turning or striking the ball.”

Donnelly, a schools’ PE coach, had the op on his right knee at the town’s Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital on the Wednesday and was back at work by the Friday.

He has continued to watch all Margate’s games and says he cannot wait to get back on the pitch – even more so given the events of the past few weeks when several of his team mates have left Hartsdown due to budget cuts.

He added: “The main reason I’m in football is to play so when you can’t it’s frustrating. I’ve been at every game because I wanted to try and help in whatever way I could but I really want to be playing because that’s where I feel I can hopefully make more of an impact.”

Margate’s recent financial problems have meant them re-assessing their objectives for the season but Donnelly says he still feels they can afford to look up rather than down.

He added: “It’s not ideal when you’re told something in the summer and it does not happen as it’s meant to but unfortunately that’s the nature of the beast at this level.

“It’s disappointing to see players leave because I thought we had gelled really quickly as a group but we’ve still got some experienced players and hopefully we can start putting things right on the pitch sooner rather than later.”

Margate have signed two strikers ahead of their Kent Senior Cup second round tie away to Greenwich Borough on Tuesday.

Kane Rowland joins from Whitstable while Jermaine Osei has come in from Bishop's Stortford. The latter has also previously played at Harlow, Grays, Aylesbury, Enfield and Ware.