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Sport

Gillingham injury latest: Ryan Jackson and Charlie Kelman pick up injuries at Doncaster; Ben Reeves and Mustapha Carayol miss the weekend game while keeper Aaron Chapman isn't risked

By: Luke Cawdell lcawdell@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 05:00, 14 March 2022

Injuries are continuing to pile up for Gillingham and boss Neil Harris admitted some of his absent players are deconditioned.

Harris is unlikely to be able to field a full 18-man squad for their midweek match at Charlton - they were a player short on Saturday - and are assessing a couple more injuries from their weekend win at Doncaster.

Gillingham winger Mustapha Carayol absent with another injury Picture: KPI

Ryan Jackson went off with a hamstring injury while match-winner Charlie Kelman had a tight calf. Missing the trip to South Yorkshire were Mustapha Carayol and Ben Reeves, two players who have been in and out the treatment room quite frequently.

Gills boss Harris has already said he thinks it’s unlikely Jackson will make the short trip to Charlton on Tuesday.

Commenting on the absence of Carayol and Reeves, the Gills boss said: “They are hamstring and calf respectively. Two players are just deconditioned, from lack of game-time and lack of training time, I am finding that within the squad.

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“We have to try and manage them and sometimes it is a bit of risk and reward. We thought they were comfortable, pushing them with the minutes they have had, but both have broken down by playing 45 minutes of football and that is a worrying position for a manager to be in with personnel in the squad when you have Danny Lloyd (out for the season) with a cruciate and Alex MacDonald (also out long-term) with a serious knee injury.

“Those two players (Carayol and Reeves), who I have played twice, Ben has played 60 minutes and then not fit, then played 45 and not fit, Muzzy played 45 and was not fit and then again, we have to look at the bigger picture of recruitment, and working players cleverly to make sure we get as much game-time out of them as possible.”

Harris, meanwhile, will have to decide whether to keep Pontus Dahlberg in the team after swapping his keepers around on Saturday. Aaron Chapman had played every game under Harris but a slight muscle strain meant he wasn’t risked for Doncaster.

Dahlberg played his part in the 1-0 win, with at least one decent saves and some tidy work with several more efforts from distance.

Harris said: “I am pleased for Pontus and now I have a decision to make on Tuesday.

“Our goalkeepers have to kick a lot of footballs the way we have been forced to play at the moment, with not so many avenues to build the play. We were worried that Chappy, with his groin, would fatigue in the game.

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“He trained on Friday but I didn’t think it was enough for someone of his size and stature to be ready for a game of that magnitude.

“We went with Pontus, he had trained brilliantly, he wants to play and he has been very patient. He has come in, made a really good save and looked assured and I was delighted for him to get the clean sheet.”

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