Witham Town have been dealt a blow with the news that striker Luke Callander is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The former Chelmsford City forward picked up a hamstring injury in the first half of Witham’s 1-0 Ryman League premier division defeat at Dulwich Hamlet on Saturday.

“Luke could now be out for a while,” said manager Garry Kimble.

“If it’s a tear to his hamstring then you could be looking at eight to ten weeks.

“At this time of year when it’s cold, it can be a difficult one to come back from quickly.

“However, I’ve got Danny Emmanuel coming back available more after a busy spell for him with work so I could put him out wide and have Ellis Brown up front.

“I do have options but it’s a blow with Cally being out.”

The news comes just days after Witham parted company with another striker, Kurt Smith, who left the Village Glass Stadium to join Ryman League division one north side Thurrock.

Kimble added: “Kurt wanted first-team football rather than being on the bench and I couldn’t guarantee him that, so he opted to move to Thurrock.

“The irony is that with Luke Callander being out, he probably would have had far more opportunities."