Garry Hill wants to bring Cody McDonald back to Ebbsfleet.

The former Gillingham striker scored three goals in five league starts after joining Fleet midway through last season.

But a cruciate injury stopped him in his tracks and McDonald had to undergo surgery.

McDonald had been in Hill's plans for 2019/20 before the injury and the manager still wants that to happen.

He said: "I talk to Cody, he’s doing his rehab work and unfortunate circumstances happen in football.

"We’d always give that opportunity and help and a player always wants that little bit of support and guidance and face a challenge of getting back to where they were or where they hope to be.

"That is an aim, that Cody does his rehab, comes back here and hopefully in September or October time he might be back in contention."

Ebbsfleet only have seven players signed ahead of pre-season training starting on Saturday.

Gozie Ugwu, Aswad Thomas and Ayo Obileye have joined the club while Nathan Ashmore, Jack King, Sean Shields and Lawrie Wilson have another year left on their contracts.

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Hill said: "With clubs going back now, it will start moving.

"You always have players who are not 100% sure and haven’t been in too much of a rush but now they see clubs going back training, they want to be training with a club.

"You get clubs who have trialists in there and they will make decisions on those players so that makes more players become available whether that’s for a loan period or a permanent transfer.

"It’s a complete rebuild of a new squad.

"You’re trying to work with the players you’ve still got here from last season but there’s always that phone call; you’re waiting to see if it does come, enquiring about players, or you try to be focused, which I have done and will do, that those players are here going forward to be part of the new squad."

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