Sean Francis has now completed an unwanted hat-trick since joining Dover from Bishop’s Stortford in the summer.

The centre-half is now injured for the third time this season after pulling a hamstring in the FA Trophy replay win against Woking at Crabble last week.

That ruled him out the trip to Lincoln last Saturday, although he did travel with the team.

Francis has already spent time on the sidelines with two groin injuries. Now he’s looking at another couple of weeks out and he’s not happy.

He said: “It’s just so frustrating. I seem to get over one injury and then pick up another.

“All I can be happy about is that I have recovered quickly in the past so I hope that’s the case this time around.

“I’d like to think I’ll be back in contention maybe for the trip to Halifax on February 14 but I will just have to wait and see.

“Even if I am fit then, there is no guarantee I’d get back in the side.

“Competition for places is healthy, as it has been for a long time now and it’s a fight for anyone to get back in the line-up.”

But it appears the hamstring is not only hampering Francis’ football career.

He’s said it has been a struggle in his day job, working as a builder for his uncle’s firm.

Francis said: “I couldn’t bend down for a couple of days so I spent them making pots of tea!”