IT’S been a rare occurrence for Reda Johnson to play more than two games in a row during a stop-start Eastleigh career.

But, fingers crossed, Saturday's visit of table-topping Wrexham (3pm) should make it five starts from five for the man mountain from Marseille.

Such is the 30-year-old’s history of injuries that manager Andy Hessenthaler said it would be “a bit of a miracle” if he were to play every National League game.

There’s a long, long way to go yet, but the early signs are encouraging and Hessenthaler believes that the more minutes the former Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry defensive colossus gets though, the more likely Eastleigh are to succeed.

Johnson has played an integral part in two rock-solid performances this week that have seen the Spitfires roar to back-to-back wins over Barnet (2-1, away) and Bromley (1-0, home).

With Andrew Boyce failing a fitness test on Tuesday, Hessenthaler had to switch from three central defenders to a back four, but feels the side can cope either way.

He said: “Boycey picked up a bad back at Barnet and failed a fitness test so we had to change the way we play. But we played a back four for most of last season and we look pretty comfortable now whichever shape we go with.

“I thought Reda was excellent second half against Bromley. Four games in a row is unusual for him, but he’s done great.

“We’ve got to manage him and look after him.

"He didn’t train today and he’ll do a light session tomorrow to get him ready for Saturday. Then we’ve got a free week.

“We’re pleased to be getting him out regularly because he’s such an influential player.”

Bristol City loanee midfielder George Dowling is touch and go with hamstring trouble, while Joey Jones is nearing fitness, but Saturday may come too soon for the ex-Woking man.

Wrexham have banked ten points from a possible 12 – their joint best start in English football’s fifth tier.