Gillingham v Scunthorpe

GILLINGHAM manager Ronnie Jepson is refusing to wallow in self-pity, despite almost constant injury concerns, a string of departed players and suspensions.

Striker Darren Byfield and midfielder Michael Flynn are suspended for Saturday's home game with Scunthorpe and on-loan forward Gary Mulligan sustained ankle ligament damage in last weekend’s defeat at Doncaster Rovers and will be out for three weeks.

Jepson said: "You could see what Mulligan was about in that game. He’s a good lad and to see him stretchered off just about sums up our luck this season.

"Tommy Black is 50-50, Alan Pouton is a doubt and Neil Harris has an outside chance of being fit for Saturday, but even if he’s not 100 per cent we still might have to use him.

"It is looking a bit grim. I have lads on the treatment table so won’t know my team until Friday, which means we can work on individual stuff in training but not team phases of play because we don’t know who’s going to be on the pitch.

"But we can’t sit here, feel sorry for ourselves and make excuses because I think that’s a very negative thing to do.

"The lads that are given the shirt are professional footballers so hopefully will give it their all. I want them to express themselves and take their chance."

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