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Margate's former Ebbsfleet United and Maidstone United front man Alex Osborn could be out for several weeks with a groin injury

Margate have suffered another early season injury blow with the news that they could lose Alex Osborn for the next couple of weeks.

The former Ebbsfleet front man came off at half-time struggling with a groin strain during Tuesday's 4-2 home defeat to Hampton & Richmond Borough.

Osborn had picked up the problem during training last Thursday and missed Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Wealdstone but felt fit enough to start against Hampton.

Alex Osborn in action against Hampton & Richmond before his substitution Picture: Don Walker
Alex Osborn in action against Hampton & Richmond before his substitution Picture: Don Walker

Manager Nikki Bull admitted the loss of the 23-year-old was a big setback particularly given that the club are already without one winger due to Matthias Fanimo's pre-season Achilles problem.

Bull explained:"Alex declared himself fit (for the Hampton game) because that's the sort of character he is but he literally limped to the dressing room at half-time.

"I suspect he'll be out for at least a couple of weeks which is disappointing. If you look at the way we wanted to play with an attacking 4-3-3 it was going to be Matthias on one wing and Alex on the other, but now we've lost them both."

Bull also had to substitute Marcel Barrington at half-time in the midweek game though he hopes the striker will be available for Saturday's trip to Poole as the Gate look to pull away from the lower reaches of Vanarama National League South.

The Gate boss, whose side are 19th, added: "Marcel just felt his groin and hip flexor tighten but he will be assessed on Thursday and we'll take it from there."

Michael Thalassitis, who scored his first goal of the season after coming on as a substitute against Hampton, picked up a dead leg but he, too, should be okay for the Poole game.

The defeat against Hampton was Gate's third in a row after beating Bath City 1-0 on the opening day - when Osborn netted the winner - and Bull was far from impressed with the way his team folded after leading at half-time.

He explained: "The changes didn't help but there was really only one team in it in the second half. Five minutes before they equalised we looked like we were struggling to handle the pressure and once they scored we lost all impetus and shape and for a 20-minute spell they ran us ragged.

"I can't keep saying it's a learning curve because we're four (league) games in on top of seven in pre-season and I was expecting much better. I know the players are disappointed too but we need to get a result at Poole."

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