Cody McDonald will definately be here with us, says Ebbsfleet United boss Garry Hill

EBBSFLEET UNITED manager Garry Hill has stated that Cody McDonald will wear the Fleet shirt this coming season with an autumn return very much the ambition for the ex-Coventry City and Gillingham striker.

McDonald, 33, was Hill’s first signing when he made the move in November 2018, having left AFC Wimbledon.

He scored three league goals from five starts in an impressive beginning to his Fleet career but suffered a season-ending injury when sustaining cruciate knee ligament damage at home to Hartlepool United in February.

“Cody will definitely be here with us,” Hill told www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk.

“We’re working with him on his rehab. He’s another good pro, he really likes this football club, but he has got a lot of rehab work to do. He was just starting to find his level of fitness when he got the bad injury.”

McDonald has been with the squad at pre-season training and he was a spectator as he watched Ebbsfleet United beat K Sports 4-3 at Cobdown at the weekend.

Hill added: “We want the value Cody has to offer. He’s keen to repay the loyalty as well so he’s in with us every day at training, working to get back to fitness.

“So he’s another one very much in our plans going forward, it just obviously remains to be seen when exactly that will be with his injury. The normal timeframe we’re looking at for that is October perhaps but we’re not going to put pressure on an exact return and I leave that to our medical people.”

National League side Ebbsfleet United continue their pre-season preparations with a trip to National League South side Dartford on Tuesday night (19:45pm).

Visit Ebbsfleet United’s website: www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk