Young forward Elliott List will miss the start of the season through injury.

The 21-year-old, who has been in goalscoring form during pre-season, damaged a shoulder after a training ground fall before the weekend.

He isn’t the only one set to miss the League 1 opener at Accrington, with new recruit Josh Rees also picking up an injury.

Boss Steve Lovell said: “Elliott fell on his shoulder, landing awkwardly, and he could be a couple of weeks and Josh could be too as well. We are going to be without them for the first few games of the season.”

List has been in a rich vein of form since scoring twice at the end of 2017/18, scoring another four in pre-season.

Lovell said: “We always said if he got one he would get a few and that’s what he has done. These things happen in training, it will happen at other clubs up and down the country. It is just disappointing.

“Josh Rees has also been performing well and we missed someone like him in the team (against Colchester on Saturday). Hopefully they will be back sooner rather than later.”

Lovell did at least have the likes of Josh Parker, Brandon Hanlan and Dean Parrett involved at the weekend, while Conor Wilkinson also got some action, playing in a goalless draw against Thamesmead after recovering from a dead leg.

he will now be hoping to see striker Tom Eaves play. An ankle injury has limited him to just two 45 minutes run-outs in pre-season, his last appearance at Bromley on July 10.

Lovell said: “I don’t think Tom is far away. We have players to come back into the squad but we just have to work on the formation now ready to go to Accrington, which is what counts.”

Gills have another game scheduled for Tuesday at Worthing should Lovell wish to get any of his senior players involved.

Those injuries of late have made things harder as he attempts to pick a best XI to face Accrington on Saturday.

“It has been difficult with the injuries that we have had,” he said.

“But with the injuries we have got it gives others a chance. The likes of Elliott and Rees being out gives Regan Charles-Cook and Brandon Hanlan and Liam Nash a chance to be involved.

“You just have to get on with it. I started pre-season with seven forwards and I have three now. Hopefully two or three will be back next week.

"We have enough in the squad, it is now about picking a system to play with the players we’ve got to get the best out of them.

“We have tried different things in pre-season. There has always been a way I love playing and that is the way I will go to Accrington. It’s just be about trying to find out the personnel and I think I have found that out.”