Ebbsfleet United have dismissed reports that injured defender Lloyd Harrington has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Harrington, who missed almost all of Dover’s 2013-14 campaign with damaged cruciate knee ligaments, joined the Fleet in the summer and then went on loan to Ryman League side Grays Athletic.

He aggravated the problem while playing for the Essex outfit, who announced on their website that Harrington wouldn’t play again this season.

But Ebbsfleet boss Steve Brown insisted that was untrue.

He said: "I don’t know where that’s come from. We’re looking at him being out for four to six weeks. The feedback from the specialist is that nothing major has gone amiss.

"He was doing well, enjoying his football and he had a smile on his face but he did pick up an injury.

"I’ve had a cruciate injury and we’re talking about major surgery. You can do all the work that’s set for you but nothing really prepares you for 90 minutes.

"When you’ve done a cruciate and then you come off with a swollen knee, everybody’s reaction is to say 'that’s trouble'.

"It's fantastic news for Lloyd (that he won't be out for that long). It's very worrying, when you come back from a cruciate and it flares up. You're fearing the worst.

"It's good news for the club and it's great news for him because he's a young player.

"The knee joint is the one that takes the biggest battering when you’re playing football and we will help him strengthen it."