Charlie Sheringham faces hip surgery this weekend and he may not return to play for Ebbsfleet until September.

The striker’s last start for the Fleet was on November 26, 2014 against Gosport – in what turned out to be Steve Brown’s last match in charge.

Sheringham started 19 of Ebbsfleet’s first 21 games last season and scored 10 goals but he was dropped to the bench when Daryl McMahon took over as caretaker manager following Brown’s sacking.

McMahon revealed at the time that Sheringham had been playing with a groin injury and would be out for up to seven weeks – but it’s now more than five months since the 27-year-old has kicked a ball in anger.

Now the Fleet’s permanent manager, McMahon said: "Charlie won’t be fit for a while.

"He’s having hip surgery on Saturday and won’t be available for four months, so he’s still quite a way off.

"It’s a complicated injury and it’s not a nice area to have surgery so hopefully he makes a speedy recovery.

"He could be back doing some light running in July.

"Charlie needs to get himself back fit but he’s a good player and definitely in my plans."

McMahon also confirmed that midfielder Dean Rance’s ankle operation last Thursday had been successful.