Striker Adam Birchall has yet to start a league game for the Gills but manager Martin Allen insists his time will come.

The 28-year-old has seen his injury problems disappear but with just one start, in the FA Cup match at Preston, few fans have seen much of the forward in Gillingham colours since his switch from non-league Dover.

But Allen said: "He is going to play soon here (at Priestfield). Sometimes it is ‘pass me the nurofen’ because I have four or five good players but only two or three positions to play them in and you’re thinking ‘how am I going to get them in? How am I going to leave anyone out?’

"(On Saturday) in the second half I knew at some point Myles Weston was going to go on but then with Birchall he keeps scoring goals in training and his head never goes down.

"He always has this big teethy grin, every day when you see him, he has a lovely positive mental attitude – PMA – and it just oozes out of his body even though perhaps underneath he might be a bit frustrated, and if I was him I would be.

"We are going to see him through the Christmas period and we are going to keep him fit and sharp. Wouldn’t it be magic when he does play out here infront of our supporters? When he does play you just know he is going to score. It’s obvious."