Gillingham youngsters Jake Hessenthaler and Devante McKain will now be heading out on loan.

Boss Martin Allen initially earmarked Hessenthaler for a place in this weekend’s travelling squad to Shrewsbury.

But Allen spoke to Hessenthaler, along with teenage defender McKain on Thursday, and decided that both would benefit more from getting games under their belts.

“I have decided for Jake and Devante to work with Mark Patterson (development squad manager),” said Allen.

“Both of them came into my office on Thursday and so I am only taking 18. Harriman is not travelling and German is. That is the 18.

“I am going to try and get those boys out on loan to a good level. They are close to being in the team now and so they are going to go out and play some decent men’s football.

“They can both play Conference level. Devante was close to playing in our team a couple of weeks ago. He has been fantastic in training.

“Hessenthaler has joined us a couple of times and he has gone up another level. His body is filling out and physically they are getting there and they are more comfortable around the (first team) players.

"The more they train with the first team the sharper they will get. We we need to get them out playing.

“We could have taken two of them up north but we decided to stick with our 18."

Several young players are already out on loan and Allen is keeping a close eye on them.

“We have a lad out on loan at Sutton who has three goals in four games in Kane Haysman,” said Allen.

“Tom Derry has done really well on loan at Chelmsford and hit the woodwork twice the other night when they won. Tom is doing well.”