Gillingham’s starters should be feeling the pressure from within.

A handful of new signings during the January transfer window has bolstered the options for Gills boss Steve Lovell.

He’s been reluctant to make team changes during their impressive spell, climbing into the top half of League 1, but they need to keep that form going.

Lovell, whose side host Peterborough this Saturday, said: “The boys in the team know they can’t take their foot off the pedal, because the boys (not in the team) are itching to get on, that’s what we want.

“We want the boys itching to go on and stay in the team, so yes, there might be a bit of pressure on the boys in the team at the moment, but so be it, that’s the nature of the game.

“You have to put yourself under pressure. They have been great and the boys at the moment in the team deserve to keep going.”

Competition for places is hotting up, with new signing Franck Moussa impressing the manager when coming off the bench last weekend at Wigan.

Attacking midfielder Navid Nasseri is desperate to get involved, as is striker Rhys Murphy. Both newcomers are yet to make their first team debuts.

“These boys are still hungry to play,” said the manager.

“They are hungry to prove to themselves that they can play at a certain level and that will help us immensely going forward.

“I am looking forward to seeing them playing in League 1, but the boys at the moment are doing a good job, it would take something special to shift some of them."

Read more from the Gills boss in this Thursday's Medway Messenger newspaper.