Martin Allen says only John Akinde of Barnet’s long list of absentees will be fit to face Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday and he will partner Shaun Batt up front.

The Bees are without Gavin Hoyte (knee), Bira Dembele (knee), Michael Gash (hamstring) and Graham Stack (groin) who are all out for at least a month and in Hoyte's case, a minimum of six months.

Meanwhile, Andy Yiadom serves the final game of a three match ban for his straight red card against Rovers. 

Akinde hasn’t played for the Bees since the 1-0 win over Bristol Rovers on January 9.

He has missed two goalless draws since but Barnet’s enforced break, with last weekend's game at Newport Coutny postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, has enabled him to return to fitness.

Allen says the Bees’ ten-goal top scorer will now partner Batt, who has overcome his own fitness issues to start Barnet’s last two League Two fixtures, at Victoria Road on Saturday.

He told Bees Player: “John Akinde is now fit, he will play up front on Saturday with Shaun Batt.

“That should give us a bit more threat going forward than what we have had and, of course, only playing one up front it invites pressure to come back at the team where they can just bomb it forward.

“Going forward and having an attacking threat and getting into the final third and making it count has got to be the area where we have got to make things better.”

A pair of goals from Gash helped Barnet pick up a much-needed 3-1 win over the Daggers at The Hive in September.

Popular former boss John Still, who has twice been Bees manager, has since returned to the east London club, succeeding Wayne Burnett.

Progress has been stuttering, though, and Still has won just one of six games and Dagenham find themselves second bottom.

“They have been very unlucky recently,” said Allen. “I’ve watched the videos of their games and they were unlucky against Northampton Town (losing 2-1).”

“John has been a massive help to me personally and to this football club and everybody at Barnet Football Club must have fond memories of John Still.

“He also helped me last summer with helping me get players in. We have no scouts here at Barnet so I have to ask favours from as many people as I can.

“It is always nice to go and see him but of course it isn’t a family visit,” continued Allen. “It is always a hard game at Dagenham, you have got to be right on your game.”

“They were 2-0 up away against Newport County just last week so they have been unlucky and we have got to make sure we go and play well if we are going to get anything out of this game.”