Striker blow hits Chichester City as 2025-26 plans are drawn up

The marksman – whose 25 league goals made him the Isthmian premier division’s top scorer – missed the end of the 2024-25 season with a knee injury and now needs an operation to repair damage.

He is expected to have surgery soon but could miss as much as the first half of the 25-26 season.

It is a blow to City but they are adamant they will cope during Wild’s absence, which will give others the chance to stake their claim.

City’s staff and players have had a well-earned rest after finishing their debut season at step three in sixth position, missing out on a play-off place only through a last-day defeat to Dover Athletic.

But they will soon be back on the training pitch as they plot what they admit could be a harder second season in the top division of the Isthmian League.

Coach Darin Killpartrick said: “We’re putting together the programme for pre-season and it will be bilt around a good mixture of friendlies and training sessions.

"There’s a long, hard season ahead and we want to be careful not to overload the players.”

Friendly opponents are likely to include Havant, Gosport, Moneyfields and Bognor although the final schedule has yet to be confirmed.

Killpartrick said they were confident of keeping last season’s squad together and adding just a couple of new faces to it, while giving opportunities to some of their up-and-coming talent from younger age groups.