Ebbsfleet United manager Josh Wright happy with reduced squad numbers in 2026/27 in return for greater strength in depth

Manager Josh Wright expects to work with a slightly smaller squad at Ebbsfleet next season.

The Fleet returned back to their more traditional model in 2025/26 of ensuring a low turnover of players and showing faith in their summer recruitment.

That meant only 26 different players - including five goalkeepers - featured under Wright in National League South, with the Fleet boss placing plenty of weight on that continuity and stability.

“We had a very solid, steady-size squad last year and we’ll probably go with an even slightly smaller number this year,” revealed Wright.

“Our injury record - and I’m touching wood here - was so good last year. I think that’s a credit to everyone, the players themselves but also everyone associated - not just myself but my staff and the way you manage a group.

“But I just felt we might have carried one or two, maybe three or four, too many at times that wasn’t needed.

“What we’re going to do is add quality that’s going to improve the starting XI but also the group that back it up.

“I said last year I want two players for every position and whoever I start has got a good argument.

“As always you need that but there’s certain attributes without going into too much detail that we felt we might have missed last year.

“Now that’s on the eye in terms of performance but also what you might need.

“I will say it, what you might need in that 95th minute when a team’s launching a long throw-in or the referee, dare I say, plays an extra 90 seconds. It might be a nastiness, whatever that might be, maybe that was missing a little bit.

“So, we’re looking at so many different things. The main thing will be quality and attributes that we feel we might need from the start or to come on, for a different game