Herne Bay expected to welcome back No.1 and captain Joe Coleman ahead of their home Isthmian South East match against Sevenoaks Town

Captain Joe Coleman is expected to make a welcome return from injury for Herne Bay.

Coleman has been out with a leg problem since their 1-1 Isthmian South East home draw with Sittingbourne at the start of last month.

While Welling loanee Freddie Norman proved an able deputy, player-manager Liam Friend is delighted to have Bay’s No.1 back at his disposal.

He said: “Even in the game he got injured in, he could barely move, but he still pulled off some really good saves. He seems to like the club.

“Freddie, to be fair to him, did well, especially in Jersey (in a 2-1 triumph), but Joe is our No.1. Him and Kamani (McFarlane, top scorer) are probably our two players-of-the-year at the moment.

“I’m sure some players will want to change that and, hopefully, that’s how they think. But you would be hard-pressed to say Joe hasn’t been one of our best players this season.

“Joe trained last Thursday. He has had to get some padded shorts, so he’s not diving on that injury, but that shows the level of commitment he has got.

“He’s not normally the most vocal off the pitch but he’s a leader on it.

“We’re happy to have him back and hopefully he’ll remain fit for the rest of this season.”

Coleman and play-off chasing Herne Bay’s back-line are set to face a stern examination when they host Sevenoaks on Saturday.

Mid-table Oaks head to Winch’s Field on a four-match winning streak, with top scorer Warren Mfula having bagged braces in their last two matches.

“They have had some really good results in the past couple of weeks,” said Friend.

“There have been some high-scoring games in there, as well, beating East Grinstead on Saturday, and AFC Whyteleafe recently.

“They’re no poor teams in this division. They’re all good teams with either