Margate player-boss Ben Greenhalgh says key midfielder Brandon Davey is close to return as changes promised for AFC Croydon game

Key midfielder Brandon Davey is on his way back from a long-term hip injury in a major boost for Margate.

There’s an outside chance he could feature at AFC Croydon on Saturday as Ben Greenhalgh’s side look to bounce back from a 3-2 home defeat by Eastbourne Town last weekend.

They haven’t been the same side without Davey, who won the manager’s player-of-the-year award as Gate reached the Isthmian South East play-off semi-finals last season.

His return is timely with Margate nine points outside the play-offs after five defeats in their past eight games.

Player-boss Greenhalgh says there’s a “possibility” he’ll be in the squad at second-placed AFC Croydon, although the following week’s home game against Sheppey looks more realistic.

“He’s probably the biggest loss we could have experienced,” said Greenhalgh.

“Every time Brandon didn’t play last season we struggled a little bit and this season, to have been without him for four months, it’s clearly shown.

“It’s shown in the performances, by the amount of goals we’ve conceded and the openness in each game.

“He’s someone who is quite resilient in the way he plays.

“You know exactly what you’re going to get out of Brandon and he has been a massive miss for us.

“I know when it comes to the end of the season, however things finish, I won’t use it as an excuse but that will always be a reason why we didn’t quite get enough out of ourselves.

“We’ve missed him, let alone all the other players we’ve had out, but 100 per cent he’s the one we miss the most and we’re looking forward to filtering him back in.

“He’s a 100mph player, so we can’t chuck him straight in after four months off, we need to do it properly, but hopefully we get that side of him for the run-in.

“Mentally it’s been