Gillingham v Swindon Town

GILLINGHAM manager Ronnie Jepson has asked supporters to remain patient as he continues re-building the squad.

Gills host Swindon in League 1 on Saturday looking to maintain their unbeaten home league run but Jepson admits the team are still short of quality.

He said: "I’d love to bring in new players now but the budget deems that we have to take our time. We have a certain size squad and that needs reducing.

"I’m looking to get to the end of the season and hopefully be in a healthy position. Then there will be quite a few players out of contract and available in the summer and we’ll go from there. I just ask the fans to be a little bit patient.

"I’m not going to sign players to pacify anyone and I don’t want to bring players in that are at the end of their career and will only play 12 or 13 games a season.

"I want hungry lads here. I know they won’t be the finished article because we haven’t got the budget to get top drawer players."

Jepson is concerned with a lack of width, especially with the absence of Matt Jarvis, who is sidelined with an ankle problem, and this is one area he is looking to strengthen.

"With Matt Jarvis out, we’re lacking width at the moment and we’ve been trying to address that," he said. "We’ve been trying to get one or two people in and we’ve had a few knock-backs.

"People don’t want to let their players go because a lot of people still think they’ve got a chance of play-offs and promotion."

While Jarvis is recovering from injury, the club have decided to book him in for a hernia operation at the same time.

Jepson addded: "He’s been struggling with a hernia for the last couple of months, so while he’s out with his ankle he’s going to get his hernia repaired – two for the price of one."

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