David Artell has informed the club’s official website that Chris Porter should resume training sooner rather than later. The club’s leading scorer has missed the last six games after suffering a hamstring injury against Eastleigh in the FA Cup.

Porter, 36, has scored 10 goals this season but in his absence, his replacement Chuma Anene has moved to eight goals and Daniel Powell and Charlie Kirk to six goals in the race to finish as the club’s leading scorer.

Artell told crewealex.net: “Chris shouldn’t be much longer. It isn’t so straight forward at his age so you have to approach things on the side of caution.

“We are hoping he will be back sooner than later and I would think he will be chomping at the bit to get going again.

“Firstly we have to get him fit to make sure he avoids any sort of relapse.

He added: “Some of the others have caught him up now and that is what we want. We want as many goalscorers as we can get because goals usually collate points.”