Outstanding young Folkestone Invicta midfielder Sam Hasler has had his appendix removed and is now home, recovering from the surgery, and expected to be back playing again in a matter of weeks rather than months.

“Sam had the operation on Saturday night” said Invicta manager Neil Cugley. “At least he knows now what the problem was a hopefully will soon be up and running again.

“Ronnie Dolan is also seeing a fracture specialist on Monday about this ankle and we’ll be able to say more about his situation after that.”

Striker Johan Ter Her Horst is also hoping to get some advice about a knee injury from one of the backroom staff at Gillingham in the next few days.

“You could say we’re a bit short squad-wise but not so much team-wise as we’ve still got enough to put out a strong side though not much more than that at this moment” said the manager.

“We played fairly against Whitehawk – they were a pretty good side for a team at the bottom of the league and it’s fair to say that both goalkeepers played well in awful conditions, especially their lad, Melvin Minter who certainly earned that point for them (in a 0-0 draw.”

Cugs now turns his thoughts to Saturday’s visit from old rivals Merstham, a side whose form and achievements have mirrored Folkestone’s own for almost as long as the teams have both been in the same division.

“They play good football, and get some good players in from clubs like Bromley and Dulwich Hamlet. Their manager (Hayden Bird) has been there a while now and they’ve almost always given us a good game.”

The Moatsiders are currently one place below Invicta in the table with three games in hand.

They are also just behind Invicta in the form table, also with seven points from the last six games.

They went down 3-0 away to resurgent Burgess Hill last weekend.

Former Bromley defender Tutu Henriques was kept on the bench for that game but has been in the side recently.

Respected play-maker and former club captain Fabio Saraiva is also back at the Moatside following successful spells in the National League with both Woking and Maidstone, but Saraiva, a key figure when Merstham beat Invicta in the Division One South play-off final at the Fullicks several years ago, has missed a number of recent games through injury.