Dagenham & Redbridge without Fejiri Okenabirhie and Oliver Hawkins for remainder of regular National League season

Oliver Hawkins and Fejiri Okenabirhie celebrate a goal for Dagenham & Redbridge earlier in the season (pic: David Simpson/TGS Photo) ©TGS Photo tgsphoto.co.uk +44 1376 553468

Daggers duo set to miss rest of season, but could be back in time for play-offs

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Dagenham & Redbridge could recall Joe White from his loan spell at Wealdstone (pic: David Simpson/TGS Photo) Dagenham & Redbridge could recall Joe White from his loan spell at Wealdstone (pic: David Simpson/TGS Photo)

John Still has revealed it is unlikely Fejiri Okenabirhie or Oliver Hawkins will feature again for Dagenham & Redbridge in the National League this season – but says both may be fit for any play-off campaign.

Okenabirhie has not been seen since the 3-1 loss at Aldershot Town in March, where he picked up a knee injury that Daggers are still waiting to know the full extent of.

Hawkins, meanwhile, broke his lower arm during the 2-0 defeat at leaders Lincoln City earlier this month and the prognosis for the duo is not good, with neither expected to be fit for the final four games of the regular season, starting with the Easter weekend games at Boreham Wood and at home to Sutton United.

But should Daggers make the play-offs, Still remains optimistic the pair could play their part, saying: “I don’t see Fejiri playing in the league games, but he may be back in time if we make the play-offs.

Recent signing Mason Bloomfield, seen here in 2014, could be recalled from his loan at Aveley by Dagenham & Redbridge (pic: David Simpson/TGS Photo) Recent signing Mason Bloomfield, seen here in 2014, could be recalled from his loan at Aveley by Dagenham & Redbridge (pic: David Simpson/TGS Photo)

“The same goes for ‘Hawks’, if we were to make the play-offs, then maybe he will be back.”

The loss of Hawkins looks to be a particular blow for Daggers, with the striker the Essex club’s top scorer and leaving them with only Paul Benson as a target man.

Plenty of Daggers’ young strikers, though, are currently impressing out on loan, and Still believes now might be the right time to recall them.

Speaking after Saturday’s 4-1 win at Macclesfield, Still added: “One of Joe White (who is at Wealdstone) or even Mason Bloomfield (who is at Aveley) might be brought back, but we’ll have a look at that this week.

On Monday, though, it was announced that White would remain with Stones on loan until the end of the season.

Over a busy Easter weekend, the workload on Benson is likely to increase, with Daggers at Wood on Good Friday before hosting Sutton on Bank Holiday Monday.

It will be a tough ask for the likes of the talismanic forward, as well as midfielder Luke Guttridge, to last the full 90 minutes in both games.

But by reducing the workload in training, Still hopes it means more of his players can last the distance in important matches.

“We’re not training much now, there’s a lot of rest and what we are doing in training is short and sharp,” he said.

“We’re not going to make anyone fitter now, the games are enough. We’ll look at our training and make it short, sharp and quick, rather than long and boring.”