Bradley Bubb could be back playing within two months – but it won’t be at Ebbsfleet.

The striker snapped his Achilles tendon in training in April and has been recovering from surgery over the summer.

Bubb, who scored 16 goals in 37 appearances last season, is now walking unaided and looks set to be back on the pitch before Christmas.

Fleet manager Daryl McMahon said: "We’re hoping November time he’ll be back but he’ll be nowhere near playing.

"He’s been out for a long time so he’ll need to go out on loan and play some games before we consider him to be in with the first team.

"I don’t want him being judged when he’s been out for six months, which people will do and it wouldn’t be fair on him.

"He needs to go and play some games away from the eye of everyone here and get himself where he needs to be and then come back in."

Danny Kedwell and Darren McQueen have been Fleet’s first-choice strike partnership so far this season, scoring seven goals between them.

Danny Mills is yet to get off the mark although he's been an unused substitute five times, while Aaron McLean’s only start came at Maidenhead on August 19.

He didn’t even make the bench against Chester on Saturday or Aldershot on Tuesday but has taken a coaching role to work with the club’s other forwards.

McMahon said: "Aaron has so much knowledge he can pass on to the strikers both at first team and academy level and he will be a valuable addition to my backroom staff."