GRAVESEND & Northfleet boss Andy Ford has praised the way his squad have coped with the amount of injuries they've suffered during the club's first season back in the Conference.

With a number of first team regulars out of action through injury, including Francis Duku and Paul Booth, Gravesend have collected three wins out of eight games to sit in mid-table.

The Fleet, who play hosts to strugglers Telford United on Saturday, will now be without Rob Owen for a month after the midfielder picked up a hamstring injury in the mid-week draw with Burton Albion.

Ford said: "I've been reasonably satisfied with our start to the season, particularly with the amount of players we've had out injured. We've held our own and that's great credit to the players.

"I watched Telford recently at Stevenage when they won 3-1. They didn't look a bad side and although they've struggled recently it won't be an easy game for us."

Gravesend (from): Wilkerson, Lee, Burton, Strouts, Watts, Kwashi, McKimm, Jackson, Stadhart, Sodje, Turner, Parker, Hatch, Skinner, Wilkins.