Hastings United's injury problems show no sign of improving for tomorrow's home game against Cambridge City.
Manager George Wakeling revealed Stuart Myall will have a knee operation next week and miss the rest of the season.
Myall, the former Albion player, picked up the injury a week after scoring a last minute goal in a 2-1 win against Cambridge in October.
Since then, United have only picked up two league wins during a torrid run of form which has left them 15th in the premier division, just five points adrift of the relegation places.
Wakeling said: "Myall is going to have an operation so he will be out for the season. It's a blow because we have not got a big enough squad to cope when key players are injured.
"It sums up the latter part of our season because I have not been able to pick a consistent side for months and our play has shown that.
"At one point I had five first teamers out and it seems when one comes back another one is out.
"I have been trying to get some new players in but I will only sign someone if they are better than the players I already have.
"This is a very open league and we need to pull well clear of any threat of relegation because I think it's going to go down to the wire this season."
Striker Ellis Remy is also a doubt after suffering a recurrence of a hamstring injury which has forced him to miss most of the season.
Duncan McArthur serves the last game of a six-match ban.
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