Ebbsfleet boss Liam Daish has praised the character and commitment of skipper Paul Lorraine after his quicker than expected return to first team action.

The popular defender made his first start of the season in the 3-0 Blue Square Premier win against Bath on Tuesday night, as Ebbsfleet won for the first time at home this season.

Lorraine had surgery on his broken wrist in the summer and planned to have a 90-minute run-out in the reserves to test his fitness before answering Daish’s call.

Daish (pictured) said: "I needed him in the squad and had to throw him in at the deep end. It just shows his character that he agreed to play, having not kicked a ball in anger this season."

Lorraine returned against Bath as Daish went three at the back and he had an immediate impact by being named man-of-the-match as the Fleet recorded their first clean sheet.Liam Enver-Marum missed the Bath game after picking up a knee injury at Alfreton.

He had an X-ray earlier this week which revealed no break but he looks unlikely to return to face in-form Wrexham on Saturday.

Daish said: "It shows the position we are in, having a squad of 15 or 16 players but we will keep making the best of what we have got."

Fleet are preparing for another difficult tough trip to North Wales and Daish said: "They had their problems financially but have still invested heavily in their squad. They have got players there who have been around in the game."