Gillingham’s EFL Trophy match at Charlton Athletic tonight will be an opportunity for players to prove they deserve a place in Neil Harris’ weekend team.

The Gills play Swindon Town at home on Saturday and after a 1-0 loss to Carlisle United, places are up for grabs.

“It is another opportunity,” said Harris, ahead of their Trophy group stage opener on Wednesday night.

“We had six lads on the bench on Saturday and Shaun Williams and Dom Jefferies are getting fit as well. It’s an opportunity for seven or eight lads to get minutes in their legs.

“They have the opportunity to show me that they should be in that starting eleven on Saturday.

“The Charlton game is important for momentum, we want to go and give a good account of ourselves, we want to play on the front foot and to win a game of football but it is Swindon on Saturday which is the most important, in my eyes. I am looking at that game and thinking there are quite a few spaces in my team for next saturday available.

“Players who play Wednesday have an opportunity to show me that they deserve to play on Saturday.”

Goalkeeper Jake Turner is likely to play, while youth defender Freddie Carter is in the frame as the search for an experienced centre-back goes on. Midfielders Olly Lee and Alex MacDonald could also start.

With a small squad, Harris is unable to make too many changes and will hope both Jefferies and Williams are fit to play. If not, they are likely to feature against Swindon.

Harris said: “I have to see how they are. If they can be involved in that with a view for Saturday then brilliant, if they are not quite ready for Wednesday then we will push them as hard as we can for Saturday.”

Gillingham’s group in the EFL Trophy also includes Brighton under-21s and Colchester United, who are both heading to Priestfield on successive Tuesday nights in the first two weeks of October. The top two teams in the group progress to the knockout stage.