IN VIEW of everything that has gone on at Crabble during the past few months, Dover manager Clive Walker can feel reasonably happy with the squad he has at his disposal for Saturday's opening game in the Dr Martens League, Premier Division, at Moor Green.

With Andy Arnott fit to return after missing last Saturday's final friendly against Sittingbourne, the only two enforced absentees are midfielder Danny Chapman (injured), and striker Nicky Dent, who starts a three-match suspension carried over from last season when he was with Folkestone.

Arnott can again expect to be deployed as a defensive midfielder, after impressing in that role in the win over Margate, leaving Walker's main decision over how to replace Dent upfront.

Matt Carruthers has been moved up alongside Tommy Tyne at various moments of Whites' warm-up campaign, but in a game where a draw would represent a satisfactory outcome, losing Carruthers' defensive qualitities down the left flank could be risky and so Paul Sykes, who signed for Whites on Saturday, may get an early starting berth to prove his worth.

Walker said: "To be honest, I think it's going to be a tough test for us up there but, apart from Danny Chapman, they are all fit and keen to get on with it."

The club start the season with no major sponsor, and they are thus heavily dependent on money through the gate, starting with Monday's first home game with Crawley (7.45), plus takings from the Centre Spot bar and the Striker Lottery.