Prop Jack Pilditch became the latest long term addition to the casualty list after a nasty finger break during last Saturday’s defeat against Dartford Valley which requires an operation.

The Blue & Gold now have 18 players sidelined including second row Sam Ryan who is suspended pending a hearing for his red card against Blackheath two weeks ago.

OEs have already used 39 players in nine league game so far this season and only two - winger Sam Scott and scrum-half Max Drysdale - have featured in every game.

In only their second home game so far this season, they face a Faversham side currently lying one place above OEs in fourth after an emphatic 40-7 victory at Footscray last Saturday.

It will be the first time the two clubs have met in a competitive fixture since the 1998/99 season when Elthamians won a Kent Two fixture 41-7.

Assistant coach Martin Hennessy, who was forced to pull his boots on last Saturday to start at fly-half against Dartford, admitted the injury situation is a cause for concern. “It is frustrating,” he said, “especially since we started so well considering we had to build a team from scratch.

“Winning the first four games was a tremendous effort by everyone involved, but it’s come at a cost because we’ve picked up a lot of injuries. Every club picks up injuries, it’s part and parcel of the game. But I guess the only difference for us is that we have a very new and young squad who haven't played a lot of rugby together. So we haven't had a chance to bed in combinations.”

Hennessy continued: “We effectively have a whole match day squad missing at the moment, but the rest of our players are training hard and continuing to learn and develop and the atmosphere in and around the squad is excellent. So we march on.”

Old Elthamians v Faversham kicks off at 2pm at the Queen Mary’s University Ground (Perry Street, Chislehurst BR7 6HB)

For those intending to travel by car to the game, there is limited parking space at the ground and supporters are advised to park in the surrounding roads.