GRAVESEND & Northfleet manager Andy Ford this week moved swiftly to compensate for the loss of injured defender Justin Skinner by signing Stevenage's Paul Sturgess on a month's loan.

The 27-year-old Dartford-born former Charlton and Millwall left-back goes straight into the side for his debut in Saturday's Nationwide Conference opener against full-timers Yeovil at Dorchester.

As the Fleet prepare for a first return to the Conference in 20 years, the club have had cause to bemoan their wretched luck with injuries.

The loss of influential centre-back Francis Duku, out until Christmas with a broken ankle sustained in a friendly at Weymouth, was the first blow.

Then Skinner, who was carried off with bruised ribs in the friendly against Gillingham, returned on Saturday against Canvey only to suffer an ankle injury that threatens to keep him out for three weeks.

Newcomers Jimmy Strouts and Lew Watts are also out on Saturday through a calf injury and suspension respectively. "We've not had the best of luck with injuries but we have to get on with it," said Ford.