03 August 2006 MATT Bodkin's injury may not be as bad as first feared according to Welling's assistant manager Phil Handford, writes Paul Green.

The former Nottingham Forest striker fell awkwardly on his arm in last Saturday's 1-0 friendly win at Folkestone Invicta.

However, it wasn't until the following day that an x-ray revealed he had actually broken a bone before being immediately put into cast.

The good news is Bodkin looks set to ditch the sling later this week after finding out the break is only a minor one and Handford is hopeful he'll be back sooner rather than later.

The assistant boss said: "He will only be in plaster for a few more days because thankfully the bone he broke is only a small one and should heal quite quickly.

"We will find out more once he has had his next x-ray, but things are looking quite promising at the moment."

Handford is also pleased with the progress being made by new striker Awkasi Edusei after he picked up a hamstring injury on his debut against Grays Athletic.

"He might have a chance of being back for the opener against Weston-super-Mare next week and I would rate his chances as 50-50," he added.

A number of trialists took part in the Folkestone triumph and their fate now awaits on how they did in Wednesday's home clash with Charlton Athletic.

Speaking ahead of the Addicks clash, Handford explained: "The Charlton game is their last chance to impress and we will make our minds up once that match is over.

"It will certainly work in their favour if they can put in a performance against a side of Charlton's calibre."

Handford also revealed the Wings expect to have at least two and possibly even three new players signed up before the Weston game on Saturday week.

"We are holding talks with them at the moment and the aim is to get it sorted before the season starts. Hopefully there will be some positive news over the next couple of days.

-- Edited by JgFc at 01:53, 2006-08-04