CHRIS Todd won’t be selecting himself to replace suspended centre-back Jamie Turley at home to Woking tomorrow (7.45pm) – but donning his boots again has fleetingly crossed his mind.

At 34, the Eastleigh manager is plenty young enough to resume his playing career and, having watched Turley get his marching orders in Saturday's costly 2-0 defeat at Braintree Town, the temptation must be there to go out and aid his side's stuttering play-off push.

But, while admitting he has "thought about it", Todd said: “I think the lads are capable enough to do it without me. Unless I’m desperately needed, I’ll go with what I’ve got. But, you never know, I may be on the bench tomorrow.

“Will Evans will get a chance at centre-half – plus we’ve got Paul Reid and Joe Partington. We’re only losing Turls for one game and we have to deal with it.”

With Ben Strevens suspended and Andy Drury ruled out by a hamstring/calf problem, Eastleigh will be missing a large chunk of midfield experience against a Woking side who, like them, have lost their impetus of late.

While the Spitfires were losing at Braintree, Woking’s slide down the Vanarama National League continued with a fourth straight defeat, this time 1-0 at home to Dover.

“It’s a tough old league and you can easily find yourselves losing two or three games,” said Todd.

“After beating Cheltenham last week, everyone expects you to go to Braintree and win, but it’s not that easy. We all believed it would happen, but it didn’t.

“It never rains but it pours and unfortunately Andy Drury’s injured, but hopefully he'll only miss a couple of games.

“Him and Strevs are two big losses, but that’s the nature of football. It’s an opportunity for someone else to show what they can do.”

Todd had hoped to secure another loan signing today, but it didn't materialise.

“Really and truly it doesn’t happen at this time of the season. It’s almost luck if you get players at this stage,” he said. “These things need to be done in the summer.

“We’ve got a good, capable squad and we have to perform. Hopefully luck will go with us tomorrow rather than against us as it did at Braintree.”

Woking’s new loan striker Daniel Carr from Cambridge United made his first appearance on Saturday along with 18-year-old Bournemouth loanee midfielder Matt Butcher, but neither made much impression against a strong Dover outfit.

Cards boss Garry Hill, whose side sit four points and one place below Eastleigh in 11th, said: “There’s no doubt we are in a battle. The only way you make it happen is by standing up to be counted and working hard.”

*On-loan Eastleigh striker Tony Lee netted his first Poole Town goal - direct from a corner - in the Dolphins' 3-0 win over struggling Histon on Saturday. It hoisted Tom Killick's men four points clear at the Southern Premier summit.