Gillingham midfielder Ben Reeves pushing for a start in FA Cup game against Cheltenham Town
05:00, 04 November 2021
Ben Reeves is among the Gillingham players to have caught the eye in training this week.
Manager Steve Evans may look to shuffle his squad where possible and 29-year-old midfield-man Reeves is hoping he can play a part against Cheltenham Town in the FA Cup.
Reeves has seen limited action since his summer move, with just two starts in the league and a handful of appearances off the bench. He did get in the XI for the League Cup game against Cheltenham back in August and played 90 minutes in last week’s Papa John’s Trophy match against West Ham United under-21s.
With midfielder Stuart O’Keefe (hamstring) struggling to be fit and Olly Lee (broken toe) missing for several more weeks, now would be a good time for the former Charlton player to make his mark.
Evans said: “Ben Reeves is crying out for a chance and he has been very good in training during the week. He is pushing.
“He was a little off it, he accepts that, he has probably covered the most distance in the Papa John’s games when he has played and he is demonstrating it on the training ground, he just needs to stay focused and the chance will come.”
Evans does also have Norwich loan man Dan Adshead who he could return to the starting eleven after being unused, along with Reeves, at the weekend. The midfield department is one area the manager does at least still have some good options.
Striker Gerald Sithole and defenders Bailey Akehurst and Harvey Lintott will be available as back-up. Akehurst was involved in the FA Youth Cup on Tuesday night, captaining the side, while Lintott and Sithole featured for the youth team last Friday.
Evans is keen for them to keep getting minutes, saying: “We need to make sure they are still playing football, they need minutes, they can’t be getting five minutes for us every third week and think they are developing, they would go backwards.
“In fairness in the youth game both (Lintott and Sithole) were reported as the best two players by a mile. That is the way it should be, they should stand out when they go back to youth level.”
Mustapha Carayol will be pushing for another start after a couple of substitute appearances. He is returning from a hamstring strain and the Gills are being careful about bringing him back.
“Muzzy was meant to be out for a week but it ended up being five,” said the Gills boss.
“While the injury has cleared up he is not quite there in fitness terms and when you have a quad injury you can’t be on the grass running up and down but when you rest you lose your fitness, especially Muzzy who was chasing it.
“We are trying to make sure we get him through and back to the level before his injury but it is tough for him because he hadn’t played for five or six months (before signing) and that is the same story with free agents. You can’t sign them because they haven’t had competitive football for so long that their body gets a shock and the little fibres, hamstrings, groins and calves, get strained and that is what takes these kids out for weeks.”
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