Ebbsfleet club captain Dave Winfield has been told he doesn't need knee surgery and could be playing again within eight weeks.

The centre-half ruptured his medial cruciate ligament in the Fleet's 2-0 win over Maidstone in the first week of the season.

There were fears Winfield might not have played again this season but a specialist has confirmed his injury is healing naturally and he can begin the rehabilitation process.

Ebbsfleet manager Daryl McMahon said: "He doesn’t need surgery so it’s good news.

"If he needed surgery he’d be out for six months so this had brought it down to eight weeks.

"He’s got four weeks non-weight-bearing so he can do weights and leg weights but not running. He’ll be doing cycling and the rower so as long as he gets through that four-week period OK, he can get back on the grass.

"It will feel like a bonus in eight weeks if he’s back. Like anything in these situations, anything can happen, he could still have setbacks etc but it’s the best diagnosis we could have had."