Ebbsfleet manager Danny Searle says he’ll wait to find out the full extent of striker Dominic Samuel’s injury before deciding whether to move into the loan market.

Samuel was helped off after a fourth-minute challenge with Braintree goalkeeper Lucas Covolan in Monday’s National League goalless draw at Cressing Road.

Rumours quickly spread to the extent of the injury and a Braintree steward incorrectly told Fleet fans that the player left the ground in an ambulance. He was driven to hospital by Ebbsfleet football operations manager/secretary Katie Knowles.

Speaking immediately after the game, Searle said: “No disrespect to the hospital service in this country but there’s no way he would have been in and X-rayed in that amount of time. By the way, they’re looking after him fantastically well.

“Chinese whispers are fantastic but he went in a car with Katie and the only reason we took him like that was because of the pain he was in.

“The bottom line is let’s deal with facts and we’ve had no information either way of what the injury is.

“It was a big loss for us as we set up and have a plan for him in the team. Obviously, we know that we’ve got Dominic Poleon there and he’s ready to go but you don’t expect to be making subs in the sixth minute. We just hope that he’s okay, we haven’t had any news on that yet so we’ll wait to see.”

Samuel is the fourth striker to pick up an injury already this season. Nathan Odokonyero is a long-term absentee after being injured at Tonbridge in pre-season, Bingham was injured in the pre-season opener at Punjab United while Kwame Thomas came off in the first half at Yeovil.

The transfer window for Football League clubs closes at the end of the week but Searle thinks that could have a positive impact with regards to players being available to sign.

“Kwame is not far away and neither is Raks but we can’t rush them,” said Searle.

“We’ve missed both, especially Raks with his energy he brings to the team. When you look at what he did for the club at the end of last season, he’s a big loss for us, especially in the manner we lost him.

“To be honest we have to wait and see what the assessment is on Dom and sit down with the medical team, see how long these boys are off and then we’ll take it from there.

“I don’t want to go and panic and get one. We’ve always got a contingency and a list of players in every position that if we’ve got problems we can fix it and the club are brilliant at that, Damian Irvine (chief executive) and the owner leave no stone unturned in supporting me as the manager.

Report: Braintree 0-0 Ebbsfleet

“I think it (transfer window) adds a positive dimension to it as there will be some players there that maybe need to make some decisions quick and there might be a couple that fall into your lap.

“They’ve waited and waited and now they need to get out so it could help us.

“We’re speculating and once we get some facts on the table then we can deal with that.”