Ebbsfleet have changed their mind about sending Bradley Bubb out on loan.

The striker's recovery from a long-term Achilles injury has gone so well that he's gone straight back into their matchday squad in the National League.

Bubb, who's been out since April, was a surprise inclusion on the bench for Saturday's 2-1 win over Leyton Orient.

Fleet boss Daryl McMahon said: "He’s come back from his injury and he’s in better shape than I thought he would be.

"When he joined the club, he wasn’t in good shape but he’s managed his body and he’s worked hard to keep himself in decent shape so when he’s come back, he’s come back way ahead of where I thought he’d be.

"He’s trained excellently, got a couple of goals the other night in a friendly and I felt that on Saturday, if we needed him, he could be the one that… Bubby can do both in the sense that he can go in behind, he can come in and play, he can pin people, he’s got a good football brain and I think he’s a really big player for us.

"Hopefully, in the coming weeks, he’ll get fitter and be able to affect the starting XI."

The plan had been to send Bubb out on loan when he was fit enough to resume full training but McMahon was forced to rethink his decision.

"That’s down to Bradley Bubb, 100%, because he’s worked hard," he said. "I pulled him last week to say ‘I’m not going to send you out on loan’.

"We’d agreed I’d send him on loan when we re-signed him in the summer but, speaking to him last week, I said ‘I’m not going to send you on loan because I don’t think I need to, you’re fit enough as it is, we’ll put friendlies on for you in the week’ and I’d rather have him involved with the squad because I think he can have an impact."

Bubb has scored 16 goals in 37 appearances for Ebbsfleet.