Gills boss Martin Allen has admitted his team are going into Saturday’s FA Cup match without the usual weekend scouting report - after their man joined the opposition.

The Gills had been using Russell Wilcox for some of their northern scouting duties this season including on Saturday, when he was asked to cover United’s league game with MK Dons.

But on Monday Wilcox was appointed assistant manager to Scunthorpe’s new boss Brian Laws, leaving Allen short of details.

Allen (pictured) said: “Our scout who watched the game on Saturday has got the job as first team coach at Scunthorpe and so we haven’t got a report.

“Russell is a good friend of ours but he has not been in work. We pick people who are not working in football, who have previously been managers or coaches, to try and help them. We asked Russell if he would do some scouting for us.

“He did it on Saturday but now we have no scouting report. I can’t wait to see him!”

But the lack of report isn’t concerning Allen too greatly.

“We will just do as we normally do,” he said.

“We will prepare as a team as best we can and tell our team a little bit about the opposition and then remind our players that if they play as a team and a unit then we will win.

“We would do the same, with or without a scouting report.”

And Allen insists little will change in the build-up this weekend, apart from the players’ diet.

He said: “All of the players will have bacon and eggs (on Friday) instead of all that healthy stuff, that’s a little tradition of mine and is all that will change.”