Skipper Paul McCarthy has spoken of his heartbreak over missing Ebbsfleet United's FA Cup first round clash at Crewe on Saturday.

McCarthy failed a late fitness test ahead of the Fleet's 3-1 defeat against Burton Albion on Saturday and will miss out.

He said: "My back has been playing up and I've had a few problems with my achilles. I've been advised to lay off it for a while.

"I'm disappointed. The FA Cup is a competition where you can pit yourselves against teams from a higher league than you.

"It's a good chance to see where you stand. It will be a good opportunity for the younger players who have aspirations of playing in the league and progressing their careers to show what they can do."

This is the first time Ebbsfleet have reached the first round since 2003 and McCarthy admitted the draw could have been more kind.

He added: "It's a monkey off our back as we haven't progressed to the first round for a long time. The draw could have been kinder to us but there is no easy draw in the cup. We were hoping for a home game to give us a good chance of progressing further.

"It's going to be difficult up there. Crewe are a good footballing side, but if we can keep the crowd quiet early on then the pressure will be on them. To go there and get any kind of result would be a terrific achievement.

"Our league form is terrible at the moment but there is no pressure on us. Everyone is expecting us to get beat but we can play with no fear."