Stevenage have Henry, Calvin Zola, Chris Beardsley and Dean Parrett out injured

Graham Westley has admitted that his squad is a little on the thin side after Stevenage had just five players on the bench for their league opener against Hartlepool United.

Football League rules allow for seven substitutes to be named for matches, but although Boro were two short on Saturday Westley says the squad he had at his disposal was a strong one with other players due to return from injury and suspension this month.

Ronnie Henry is due to return to first team action at the end of August after the full-back suffered a medial knee ligament injury during the club’s pre-season match at Barnet.

First team sports therapist Paul Dando wrote in Saturday’s programme that striker Calvin Zola, who joined the club in the summer after leaving Aberdeen, has started Pilates in a bid to ‘improve his body control and flexibility’ and will be in a Boro shirt in the ‘not too distant future’, while Chris Beardsley (knee) is close to resuming light training.

Westley said: “The squad is thin, we know that, but I’m not complaining about that or making an issue about it.

“There were only five subs…[but] we can only put three on and I had plenty of options should I take a knock.

“I’ve got lads who are coming back, plenty of boys who aren’t far away now.

“Ronnie Henry’s not far from being back in training, Simon Walton is only missing because of suspension, so we’ve got some good and very big players coming back in.

“Calvin Zola, everyone expects him probably to be one of the front running goalscorers in the league. He won’t be too far away either so we’ve got plenty of numbers to do the job that needs doing and I thought the squad was strong this afternoon.”