RICHARD Hill can’t guarantee that ex-Saint Dan Harding will be part of his Eastleigh squad to face Oxford United at the Silverlake on Saturday (3pm) – but he wouldn’t rule it out either.

The 31-year-old has been training with the Vanarama National League club following his release from Nottingham Forest and, with Eastleigh’s regular left-back Michael Green injured, played 45 minutes of Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Newport County, setting up the opening goal.

Hill would dearly love to sign him but, with Championship clubs sniffing around, the Eastleigh boss is just biding his time waiting to see what transpires.

“I’ll speak to Dan tomorrow, but he’s his own man and I’m leaving it up to him. I'm pretty easy about it,” he said.

"He's got interest from Championship clubs and his situation could change at the drop of a hat.

“It’s a loose arrangement we've got with him and he actually did us a favour on Tuesday by playing at left-back because I wanted to look at another player in a different position.

"Pre-season is for trying things out and Dan playing allowed me to keep more of a balanced team in the first half.

“Dan enjoyed it and he trained with us again today.

“He’s a nice bloke with no airs and graces, no attitude and no big ego about him.

“He’s fitted in with the lads and he works very hard. He could do things at his own pace, but he doesn’t, he does what we do at my pace.

“He looked a polished, accomplished player the other night – I expected nothing less from him.”

Green, who has a pulled bottom muscle, will be rested again on Saturday. Striker Ross Lafayette will be assessed in the morning after taking a bang on the thigh and the same goes for centre-back Jamie Turley who is back in training after chicken pox.

Eastleigh chairman Stewart Donald will have a foot in both camps for Saturday's friendly, having just acquired a ten per cent stake in Oxford, who finished 13th in League Two last term.