Gillingham manager Steve Evans on injuries and free agents as selection problems persist at Priestfield
05:00, 02 November 2021
Gillingham manager Steve Evans has welcomed the free midweek schedule and wishes he had more.
Evans claims he is down to 14 senior professionals, including two goalkeepers. Stuart O’Keefe and Olly Lee are the latest squad members in the treatment room.
“We need every midweek to be game free,” said Evans.
The Gills are relying on youngsters to fill the bench while they are another player down after sending QPR loan striker Charlie Kelman back, at their own choosing, after a disappointing spell.
Evans has welcomed the break this week ahead of the FA Cup clash with Cheltenham Town, hoping for some respite from the ongoing injury problems.
He said: “We need free weeks until Christmas because none of our players are coming back short term.
“Mustapha (Carayol) went on (at the weekend against Accrington) but after 25 minutes against a West Ham kids team in midweek he has had to be very tentative for the rest of the week to get him on the pitch at 60 minutes.
“We are certainly not having a fair crack but are we a better side if we include the players, like Phillips, MacDonald, a fit Carayol, I could keep going, we are unlucky but you have to make your own luck in this game.
“We have got an horrendous situation haven’t we? We have had Stuart O’Keefe go over with a hamstring strain.
“We have already got three kids on the bench and we haven’t got anyone coming back. I said to Paul (Raynor) we must have run over 10 black cats, in July and August, because you look at the luck we have had with injuries. Lads are getting injured because we are having to put them out there Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday, it is very repetitive and that takes its toll. Every other club in this league can make significant changes. That is lots to do with what is in the treatment room.
“We have always said we can compete with any team in this division and it doesn’t matter whether you are Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham, Ipswich, Portsmouth, Charlton, all with big budgets but budgets don’t come into it when the game starts. If we have our best XI on the pitch we will compete with anyone.
“If you add a very good Olly Lee, Phillips, MacDonald, that is just three players and we are a much better team aren’t we? I am looking behind me (at the bench) and outside Ben Reeves I have kids. There is not a lot I could do is there.”
With Kelman gone - possibly permanently - Evans only has the free agent market to turn to until the transfer window reopens in January but he doesn’t see much there that he feels will help.
Evans said: “Last January our chairman was very supportive. He knows what we are up against in the treatment room but I can’t go to Paul Scally at the moment and say ‘can we sign a player or two.’ People will say there are free agents, but who are they? They won’t have played football since last March or April, something is not quite right for the lads in terms of doing a job in League 1 if they still haven’t got a contract in November.”
*Saturday's FA Cup match has been moved an hour to a 2pm kick off. Adult tickets for the match are priced at £10.
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