Dagenham & Redbridge boss has more options for FA Trophy tie

Daggers welcome the National League North side to Victoria Road having had a 14-day break from competitive action since their home defeat against Rochdale.

They played a friendly aganist Charlton U21s last week, with Strevens admitting his club’s injury list has been ‘mad’ this season.

“I don’t think we’re the only team, but this has been as mad as I’ve known it injury-wise,” he told the club website.

“Even when we’ve been playing games the last few weeks, it has felt like nothing having four or five boys out because there was a period where we had seven or eight players out.

“What I had in my mind, everyone fit, the team I wanted to pick at the start of the season, I haven’t been able to play it once yet.

“It’s been different phases with different boys being out. At the start of the season it was Ryan Hill and Tavs [Nik Tavares] being out and then they started to come back and we had everything that happened with Inih [Effiong] and that led into injuries with [Tom] Eastman and others.

“We’re certainly closer to where we want to be in terms of boys being back out there and that leads to tough decisions in terms of boys playing. Also when I’m having to select a matchday squad now, some people might be saying ‘well, how come that person is not involved?’

“But I haven’t been able to do that. Each game we’ve played so far this season, I would say 95 per cent, has been default, the squad that is available is the one that is selected.”

Charley Kendall fired Daggers in front in their behind-closed-doors contest against Charlton, with Strevens making half a dozen changes at the break.

And Kendall struck again in the second half, before the hosts hit back late on in a 2-1 Daggers success which featured Conor Lawless and Freddie Sears.

The return of the duo should give the Daggers boss more options this weekend, with Strevens adding: “Conor and Freddie are obviously further forward, the fact they played, so we certainly hope they’re able to be in and around it.

“David Longe-King has got to build his fitness up as well, coming back from an injury he had. Even when he played he was struggling to play the next game.

“Hilly [Ryan Hill] and Pagey [Lewis Page] are back now. Pagey is joining in at training, Hilly is back out running and hoping he is going to be able to join in training, so couple more positives on the injury front with boys coming back into the fold.

“With everything they do, it’s just stepping up more and more, we need to get them to the point where we’re allowed to integrate them into training more so they’re training normally.

“We’re hoping that is going to happen for both of them and if that does then they’ll both be in and around it for selection for the FA Trophy game.”

And with more players becoming available once again, Strevens welcomes the selection headaches that will undoubtedly follow.

“Some weeks I’m going to leave people out and they’re going to be disappointed with it,” he said.

“That’s our job as a coaching staff – the ones that are left out of the group to speak to them individually, chat to them about what the reasons are.

“It happened a little bit where Sydney Ibie wasn’t making it into the matchday squad and we allowed him to go out on loan to get the game time he needed, to go to Aveley.

“These things happen in football, I can’t select everyone, that’s the reason you have a squad, but we have been quite bare throughout the season.

“We’re really close to having nearly everyone back in the next couple of weeks, will lead into them moments where I’m having to leave people out but also having a stronger group training wise which I felt picked up a few weeks ago.

“We’ve got the boys coming in and challenging each other each day. If you’re not training well, playing well, then you’re not going to get in the side.

“I see them train every single day, the ones that are training the best will be the ones involved in the matchday squad and in and around it for the games.”

Daggers have been handed a trip to National League South side Aveley in the fourth round of the Essex Senior Cup.

But their National League game at Barnet on December 12 has been postponed, with the Bees now in FA Cup replay action against Newport County on that date.