Tariq Ossai - Ashford’s longest-serving player - is back in business after months on the sidelines.

Ossai, 24, suffered a knee injury during an Isthmian South East game against Sheppey in April and required an operation.

He underwent keyhole surgery to repair a flipped meniscus and has played the Nuts & Bolts’ last two games - wins over Beckenham and Merstham.

The right-back, who celebrates four years at Ashford next month, is hoping to keep his place when they meet Burgess Hill in their first game on the new 3G pitch at Homelands this Saturday (3pm).

“It’s been a tough few months,” said Ossai, a former Crystal Palace development squad player.

“I’ve had muscle and joint injuries but this is the first injury that’s required a proper operation and it’s been tough, mentally more than physically.

“There’s days when you’re like, ‘Is it going to get better? Is it not?’.

“It has been difficult but it’s good to get back training and playing.

“I just want to start knocking down each game and getting wins on the board.”

Ossai’s comeback carries risks but he’s put those firmly out of his mind.

“With people under 40, they tend to repair the meniscus rather than remove it because with removal it’s very likely you’ll end up with arthritis,” he said.

“The unfortunate thing with repairing is that it’s not a complete fix.

“There’s always that possibility of it going again, whether it’s in one month, one year or 10 years.

“You just have to get on with it. With anything you do, there’s a possibility something might happen.

“When you get in a car, there’s a possibility you might crash but you don’t get in a car and think like that.

“If I continue to think about the knee, the likelihood is it’s going to happen again, so I don’t think about it.

“I just get on with playing and if it happens, it happens.

“Injuries happen - that’s part and parcel of football.

“Some people are lucky and have no injuries and some people are unfortunate and have to deal with injuries for most of their career.

“I’ve come to terms with that and I’m training and playing every game as if it isn’t there.”

Ossai appreciated the support of former boss Tommy Warrilow after his injury and was buoyed by successor Kevin Watson’s decision to keep him on in the summer.

He remained involved with the squad, even while sidelined, making his comeback that much easier.

“When you’re involved in the environment, you know what you’re coming back to, so you don’t feel out of place,” said Ossai.

“I’ve felt just as connected as the boys who are playing and hats off to them because they didn’t single me out once.

“They made me feel like I was part of the team, so it’s been a massive environment to be involved in.

“When you’re injured, you kind of want to disconnect yourself from football but it’s been easy for me to keep turning up to sessions and going to games because the environment is second to none.”

Ashford are seventh in Isthmian South East going into their Homelands return, having started the season at Chatham while the replacement 3G pitch was completed.

After two play-off final defeats in recent years, Ossai’s sights are set firmly on promotion.

“We’ve been within touching distance - it’s time to realise our value and really push for that promotion,” he said.

“The ideal way is to win the league but, if we can’t do that, we look at the play-offs.

“I don’t want to make excuses but we haven’t been too lucky in not having proper training facilities and not playing at our home ground.

“When you’re winning, those things don’t matter but, when you’re losing, those are things people start to look at.

“We’re turning away from that now we’re back home and trying to knock down each game as it comes.”

Ashford host Hythe in the Velocity Cup on Tuesday (7.45pm).