Gills midfielder Chris Whelpdale is undergoing hospital checks to diagnose a kidney complaint.

Whelpdale was absent at the weekend when the Gills travelled to Northampton to face Coventry City.

Gillingham boss Martin Allen made Whelpdale available for transfer on Friday but insists the player’s current absence has nothing to do with that.

“He is having tests and his situation is a little bit worrying,” said Allen.

“I am not sure exactly what it is. I suppose people put two and two together, that I made him available and as people do, they look at the doom and gloom and say, ‘well, Whelpdale is not turning up, he is not bothered or he has turned his back on everybody’. That is absolutely not the case.

“Chris Whelpdale, since I have been here, has been a good player, a great bloke and he is a model professional.

“He never misses a day in training and the only important thing at the moment is to get a solid diagnosis of what is wrong with him. He has an unusual type of injury and we have to wait for that to get better. We are awaiting further tests.”

Whelpdale’s last appearance for the Gills was a fortnight ago at Crawley, ironically the same ground where he suffered a split scrotum two years ago.

Former Peterborough player Whelpdale is one of four players transfer-listed by the Gills on Friday. The club have, as yet, received no offers.

*Gillingham's development squad travel Southend for a fixture on Tuesday afternoon.