Eastleigh were hoping to offset the loss of David Hughes for tomorrow's home game against Folkestone Invicta by loaning another ex-Saint, Jamie Gleeson, from Kidderminster Harriers.

But the injury jinx that has plagued the club struck again on Wednesday night when the young midfielder suffered a groin strain in a comeback match for Kidderminster's reserves.

Eastleigh's director of football Mark Dennis, who has been taking care of business in the absence of holidaying manager Paul Doswell, groaned: "I'm gutted for us and for Jamie.

"He'll still come here but an injury like that can take anything from a week to ten days to heal."

Poole-born Gleeson left Saints during the summer and joined Kidderminster after turning down a three-year contract with Yeovil. But he has been dogged by injury this season and was looking forward to a spell with Eastleigh to get his fitness back.

Dennis said: "I've been chasing Jamie for a year now. He's a hell of a player. He's box-to-box and really puts his foot in and gets in people's faces.

"He's only 19, but he's built like a 25-year-old. He's just what we could have done with tomorrow while Hughesy is suspended."

Eastleigh have even bigger problems up front. With Robbie Matthews completing his move to Salisbury City and Paul Sales and Andy Forbes both sidelined long-term, they are woefully short of attacking options.

Nicky Banger is still rusty from a spell out injured and suspended, while James Stokoe picked up a groin problem at Gosport last week and is doubtful for tomorrow.

"The injury list is horrendous again," sighed Dennis, who had been hoping to loan a young, unnamed striker from ex-Saint Glenn Cockerill at Woking, but he too got injured this week.

Eastleigh's last hope is to try and loan a striker from Aldershot or Oxford United.

l Twenty-two year old Robbie Matthews should go straight into Salisbury's squad for tomorrow's trip to Worthing.

The Amesbury-born front runner - signed for an undisclosed fee from Eastleigh - is back for his second spell with the Whites, having left them originally to join Bemerton Heath Harlequins.

Whites goalkeeper Kevin Sawyer has been handed a three-match suspension following an incident at Staines Town.

The ban starts on October 2 when Whites are at home to Frome Town in the FA Cup second qualifying round.

Big South African striker Stuart Brown has been loaned out for three months to Wessex Division 2 club Poole Town, who are managed by Salisbury's former assistant manager Tommy Killick.