Ebbsfleet’s attempts to bolster their threadbare squad have been hampered by the closure of the EFL transfer window.

Fleet will only have 12 senior players to pick from this weekend plus their untested reserve goalkeeper Jonathan Miles.

Dave Winfield and Cody McDonald have long-term injuries while Dean Rance and Chris Bush are both suspended.

Garry Hill was only able to name four substitutes at Barrow last Saturday and they included academy player Arif Omar and youngster Freddy Moncur.

The manager is working hard to bring in reinforcements, but may have to go with what he’s got.

Hill said: “The only recognised Conference player on the bench at Barrow was Danny Kedwell. That was it and that won’t change unless the right player comes in.

“It’s very hard at this time of year to get the right player to come in. People have got to understand the EFL transfer window is shut so (League clubs) can’t sign players themselves.

“If they let somebody go, they’ve got to be careful they don’t leave themselves short and by the same token, the player who’s not in their plans might not be the player we’re after.

“It’s then very hard to find players from a lower level to come in and be better than what we’ve got.

“It’s a tricky situation but I think we’re handling it very well. We’re still getting results and we’ve punched above our weight for a long period.

“When we came to the club, we were four points off relegation and now we’re four points off the play-offs.

“We are capable of coming again, there’s no doubt about that.

“It’s a tough game for us on Saturday (against Salford) but after that we go into Halifax, Boreham Wood, Maidenhead and Maidstone where we could make another run.”

Bagasan Graham returns on Saturday after serving a three-match ban but Bush will miss the next two after picking up his 10th booking of the season.

Rance, meanwhile, has two games left of the retrospective ban handed by the FA for an incident at the end of the defeat to Solihull on February 9.

Hill said: “We’re unbelievably thin but I don’t put my dirty washing out on the line and moan about things.

“You’ve got to get on with it, you can’t change that aspect. We’ve got what we’ve got and it’s very hard.

“There is room to fetch one or two players in but with the EFL window closed, you are restricted in a major way.”