The Hawks could be without SIX players for Saturday's Ryman Premier home match against AFC Sudbury - and boss Danny Chapman hopes to have bolstered his depleted squad with the acquisition of two French players if he can get through the red tape preventing him from playing them.

The departure of striker Piers Wixon - who announced on Monday that he was leaving Harlow Town - added to Chapman's lack of personnel.

Striker Alex Read is doubtful for the weekend after missing Tuesday's 2-2 draw at Hendon.

With defender Billy Jones injured, midfielders Syrus Gordon and Jared Small suspended and another midfielder, the experienced Mario Noto, unavailable through work commitments, Chapman is down to the bare bones of his squad as he looks to take on the team that pipped them to the Ryman North title last season.

He has had two French players: a left-sided midfielder and a forward, training with his squad for the last three weeks and hopes international clearance will be completed to allow them both to be in his squad to face Sudbury.

Chapman said: "I am never one for making excuses. We will be missing a few more this weekend. This weekend against Sudbury is going to be a real, real test for us. We are going to stick together.

"Ready [Alex Read] is ill at the moment. He sounded dreadful. Ready is not the type to shy away from anything, especially football. He's the type that can't stand missing games.

"We hope he will be okay for Saturday. If he looks after himself well enough, we hope he will be back.

"But we've got Smally [Jared Small] and Syrus Gordon suspended. You've got Billy Jones injured at the moment. Mario [Noto] has work and he can't get out of it.

"Piers Wixon left the football club last night (Monday). I had a conversation with him last night.

"We have a couple of French lads we have had for a couple of weeks, sometimes the international clearance can take a few weeks, sometimes four weeks.

"We hope we will have it sorted and they can be in and around the squad. They have been with us for two or three weeks now. One is a left-sided midfield player and the other is a forward. We hope to see them at the weekend and they can bolster the squad."

Harlow are unbeaten in four league games and lie in eighth in the table.
Sudbury are a point and two places ahead of the Hawks but are unbeaten in three league games away from home, with two wins and a draw.