Elliott Johnson will have a late fitness test ahead of Barnet’s trip to Halifax Town on Saturday after recovering from a hamstring strain.

The left-back was injured in the defeat at Lincoln City on January 4 and has missed the Bees’ last two fixtures.

But the 20-year-old could return against the Shaymen on Saturday, if he comes through a late fitness test beforehand.

Speaking to the club’s website, head coach Martin Allen said: “Elliott will have a late fitness test. He started training a couple of days ago but we will have to see how he is.

“Keanu Marsh-Brown had a tight thigh after the game at Grimsby so has continued this week with a strength and conditioning programme that involves lots of gym work.

“The physio (Jayde Cook) has done a fantastic job with him – they have worked morning and afternoon and even sometimes in the evening. Both Elliott and Jayde have shown the real commitment and work that is needed to be successful, that’s for sure.”

Jon Nurse (knee) is still sidelined.

A 4-0 defeat by Halifax last season saw the Bees’ play-off hopes extinguished and Allen believes it was that defeat which made him realise the level of work required to turn Barnet into promotion challengers.

He explained: “I think the Halifax game at home at the end of last season when I was the manager; I thought Halifax could have won that game 9-0.

“They totally destroyed our team that day and it was on the way home from that game that I realised that major surgery was needed and a massive shake-up of the players and the staff was required if we were going to do anything this year.

“That game was the catalyst for the change that was needed and now we step forward with a new team, a new squad, new staff and our challenge now is to put a marker down to show how much we have improved both on and off the field to take on what is a very competitive and successful team.”

You can get the lowdown on the Shaymen by reading our opposition profile, here.