Club captain Paul Lorraine has been told to fight for his place if he wants to get back in the Ebbsfleet team.

Lorraine’s been a fixture in the Fleet defence since joining the club in 2010 but he’s been out of the side since suffering a slight groin injury five weeks ago. An ankle problem meant he wasn't in the squad for Tuesday's 2-2 draw at Bath.

New signing Anthony Acheampong has looked solid alongside Osei Sankofa in Lorraine’s absence and when fellow centre-backs Yado Mambo and Shane Huke are fully-fit, competition for places will be fierce.

Ebbsfleet manager Steve Brown said: "When I walked in the building, I said to everybody that if they perform well, week in, week out, they’ll keep the shirt.

"Lorro’s done nothing wrong but he picked up a slight injury, missed a couple of games and that’s all it takes.

"It’s strength in depth. No-one likes sitting on the bench but everybody understands. If you look at Osei Sankofa, for the first 12 (league) games of the season, he barely got on. You have to suffer that at times, as a player, for the betterment of the team.

"You have to understand that at times, you’ve got to be patient and sit on the bench. At the moment, it’s Paul. But there are another seven games in March and I’m sure every player I’ve got here will be used."