Gillingham fans fear match postponements as worrying report emerges

Gillingham fans fear that their side could well see some match postponements coming up as a worrying report emerges on their injury crisis.

It’s claimed that goalkeeper Aaron Chapman was handed an outfield playing kit for the Gills’ FA Cup fixture at Cheltenham Town as things get worse for Steve Evans’ side.

A spare kit was ready for for the shot stopper after the club’s injury crisis left them with only four substitutes for Tuesday night’s replay at their fellow League One opposition. They could have named nine on the bench according to KentOnline.

Gillingham suffered a further blow when seeing two of their own players go off injured with Jack Tucker and Ryan Jackson seeing knocks but went on to see the game out.

Evans had already named three teenage substitutes of the five they were allowed to use, but that would have left just Chelsea loan keeper Jamie Cumming on the bench.

“A couple of lads were playing on one leg at the end,” admitted the Gills boss.

“Jack Tucker, Ryan Jackson, probably on a normal day you would be taking them off and hoping they will be okay for the weekend. Jack got a knock, Ryan got a knock on his calf.

“We asked permission from the referee before the game that if we needed a fourth sub could we put Aaron Chapman out on pitch and Jamie Cumming in goal because in training you could see who would be the one who could play outfield if ever it was needed.

“That is how bad it has got. The referee thought I was joking before the game. He said the rules are he can come on and so we had a spare kit on the bench, for a goalkeeper.”

Gillingham’s injury list includes the likes of captain Kyle Dempsey as well as leading scorer Vadaine Oliver.

Danny Lloyd and Ben Reeves went off injured at Cheltenham and the club also see Robbie McKenzie, David Tutonda, Rhys Bennett, Alex MacDonald, Mustapha Carayol and Olly Lee out.

Jack Tucker and Ryan Jackson are also being assessed this week following their knocks.

Twitter users have their reaction as Gillingham fans fear potential match postponements as the worrying report emerges…

something else man https://t.co/JMM0qQUIqk

— Alex (@HALLAMHOWARD) November 17, 2021

Remember this though 👍 https://t.co/uqPIHi7LYJ pic.twitter.com/Wyp2i6dIPM

— T (@GFCT02) November 17, 2021

@Sibbo34: Reeks of Sunday league, embarrassing

@LuvmeGills: Why embarrassing? 11 on the injury list.

@Sibbo34: At this level you shouldn’t have 3 on a bench, 1 of which 16yrs of age and the possibility of your keeper playing on pitch. The team have been neglected and injuries where always going to happen, the squad is too small and depleted

@eyeschityounot: What do you realistically expect with Scrooge as chairman?A squad predominantly made up of untried loans and rejects season after season

@jdbowling94: Goodness… if you thought we had the right size squad this tells you all you need to know….🤦‍♂️

@ReeceBoast: I’m half expecting us to have to forfeit a match soon or even better Scally taking the number 9 shirt…

@WillRochaThomas: Hovering above the relegation zone, a manager reportedly close to leaving, and so few fit players that we might need to play a keeper outfield. These are truly glory days #gills

@JamesLoader16: Why oh why oh why oh why did my Dad take me to Gillingham when I was 5. How to ruin a persons life

@liamstanley01: Haha we are a professional football club ffs fucking jank 😂

@ANNDYLLLL: Up the Gills 🤦🏻‍♂️

@GillsInTheBlood: One step away from fucking rush goalie aren’t we. A professional football club.

@finbarkerr: The state of Gills at the moment is just beyond depressing

@HA_1893: 😂😂😂😂😂 you have to laugh or else you cry

@EJTaylor99: And I thought sticking Ehmer up front for 45 minutes was as bad as it was gonna get

@Dan__CAFC: Gillingham at hike this weekend is our last chance, it’s win or we are 100% down #Crewealex

@LiamBatch: You’ve got to laugh.

@fin_pike: 😂😂😂 we’re such a laughing stock atm

@IsaacGleave: Not sure whether to cry or laugh 🥲

@tjw0405: He’s 6’8 tbf. Make a decent target man

@Josh_Gills94: League one team btw, with an apparent “big budget” 🤡

@marcwboz: Unbelievable 🤦🏻‍♂️ we are in such a mess

@GFCT02: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣honestly we’re finished

@DomGFCBallard: 😂😂😂 I’m laughing otherwise I’ll end up crying

Meanwhile, Steve Evans is wanting to have talks with Gillingham chairman Paul Scally after being linked to the vacant manager’s job at Stevenage.

The League Two club are, according to reports, wanted permission to speak to Evans about the vacancy at the club following the recent departure of their manager Alex Revell.

Evans, who is in the third of a three-year deal at Priestfield, became the immediate favourite for the Stevenage job with the bookies on Tuesday.

He said he only found out about the reports after his side’s FA Cup defeat at Cheltenham: “I have just been made aware of it by our media department and that is something that the chairman and the club have to speak about, not for me, I will speak to the chairman about it as you would expect.

“I don’t know how accurate that is. I am a football manager, I want to win games, I want to have a chance. I don’t know if there has been an approach.

“I know Stevenage as a club, I know the personnel, but that is for Paul Scally (the Gills chairman) and Gillingham Football Club to speak of and obviously they need to give clarity on it because I am not sure that is right or wrong.”