Boss Andy Hessenthaler would like to bolster Dover’s squad.

Whites are due to play nine matches in January but are light on numbers after striker Reece Grant left earlier this month while versatile midfielder Arjanit Krasniqi has moved on, too.

They’ll start 2023 against Dulwich in National League South at Crabble on New Year’s Day, having drawn 1-1 with them on Boxing Day.

He said: “It seems a bit strange not playing on maybe the 28th and then New Year’s Day, like the EFL are doing. Some of them are playing on the 28th or 29th.

“But because we have got such a busy period after New Year’s Day - we are Saturday-Tuesday for a good month in January - we are lacking numbers.

“I’m trying to perhaps bring a couple in if I can.

"We have lost Reece Grant. He didn’t get enough game time, wanted to go and play, had a few injuries and it didn’t really work out. We had a good conversation and he decided he wanted to move on so we let him do that.

“We’ve lost Arjanit Krasniqi who has left the club as well. That’s just through personal reasons.

“He came and saw me, and I respect anybody’s wishes when it comes down to personal reasons so we’re down on numbers.

“I will be having a chat with the chairman [Jim Parmenter] in the next couple of days to see if we can freshen it up.

“We probably need to look at another attacking player and maybe another defender. In midfield, I think we are okay.

“But you just don’t know what comes up, really.

"That money hopefully will be there to use because we’re under budget with the two boys going.

“So I’m hoping to have a conversation with the chairman to try and use that money to bring two in.”

Midfielder Jordan Higgs netted at Champion Hill against his old club, with 13th-placed Dover returning to competitive action for the first time in 20 days after a 2-0 loss at Cheshunt.

Hessenthaler, back in the dugout after recovering from Covid earlier this month, said: “We were pleased with the performance.

“Obviously I wasn’t at the last game and we haven’t played for 20 days so that was a bit concerning. They played on Tuesday and we went to watch them play.

“We wanted to get something out of the game but I was looking more for a performance after Cheshunt.

“But if we look back at the Cheshunt game now - and look at what they have done in the last three games - where they have beaten Ebbsfleet and won again on Boxing Day [against Concord] so, maybe, they’re not as bad as people thought with the position they were in.

"We needed to respond from our performance and we certainly did.

“We were the best team at Dulwich and should have won the game. We created the most clear-cut chances and, on another day if we had scored four or five, that could have been a fair reflection of the game. But we didn’t and that’s probably my only criticism.

“They weren’t just half-chances, they were really good chances. We needed the rub of the green a little bit as well a couple of times but, generally, I was really pleased.”

On Higgs’ effort, Hessenthaler added: “It was a great strike.

“The build-up to it was fantastic. The keeper made a great save from Alfie Pavey and it came back out to Higgsy who struck it well.

“I know their keeper, Charlie Grainger, quite well.

"He was at [Leyton] Orient when I was there and I thought he was man-of-the-match for them but he had no chance with that one.”

More than 2,500 watched the match at Dulwich and it’s a time of year Hessenthaler enjoys being involved in.

"It’s been a while so it was nice to get back in the dugout with Mike Sandmann and the boys,” said the 57-year-old. “It was an entertaining game.

“There was a good atmosphere. You don’t usually get that type of crowd at our level.

“I said before the game I really enjoy Boxing Day football as a player and a manager. There’s a real buzz about the games, with people celebrating Christmas and coming out to watch the games. I enjoyed it.

“It was a pleasing performance, it was just tinged with disappointment that we didn’t perhaps get quite what we deserved.”

Striker Chike Kandi (back) could return against Dulwich.