Gillingham boss Steve Evans joked he’ll be naming supporters on the bench at Fleetwood after picking over the ruins of a midweek trip to Rotherham.

The Gills started well enough at Rotherham, going infront against the League 1 leaders and looking good early on, but when experienced centre-half Max Ehmer went off with a dislocated shoulder things began to unravel. They eventually lost 5-1 and Evans has said they are now down to “eight or nine” senior players for their weekend game.

Evans was down after the game, having lost Ehmer along with striker John Akinde to injury. Ryan Jackson’s dismissal means he’ll miss the long trip north as well. But the Gills boss is still fighting.

He said: “Portsmouth got outplayed [the Gills lost to a stoppage-time own goal] and got a deflected goal, at Rotherham the boy hits a volley, going six yards wide, it goes in. We have not got that, we have had bounces go the other way.

“You have to make your own luck by working hard, doing things right, doing the analysis and being positive with the group.

“I will have no interest on Friday about the treatment room, they can’t help us.

"The focus is all about positivity. Fleetwood have some really good players, a new man hoping to be in the job and he can’t do any better than a 3-0 win over Bolton, it could have been a lot more than three as well.”

Fleetwood sit one place above the Gills, 21st in the League 1 table after that impressive midweek win.

They have interim head coach Stephen Crainey in charge of the team after Simon Grayson’s recent dismissal.

The Gills host another struggling side Crewe next weekend.

Evans said: “These games are important, mentally they are and the next two teams have got their Christmas (playing against us).

“We want those (injured) boys back and the medical boys are working around the clock, but we have to go with what we have got.

“If we do some work in January we will be in League 1, no worries about that. We will comfortably be up towards that mid-table group. If injuries continue and we don’t do any business in January we are in trouble.

“We still have some very good players but we need our best players to help us win games.”

For now, youth players will be making the trip again, but Evans said: “We are going to Fleetwood with eight or nine senior players and making it up with academy kids who in time will be footballers but they are just not ready.

“We are getting to the stage where is it education or is it harmful? It is not educational if they are getting a whirlwind thrown at them.”

Evans has said it would be easier to walk away than face up to the challenge but he’s up for it.

He said: “You can walk away and make sure you get some sunshine before Christmas or you can fight and make sure this football cub is competing in this league next year, which is as an absolute minimum.”

First-choice keeper Jamie Cumming is set to return this Saturday after being absent with Covid but must first have a cardiac screening, which is the protocol of his parent club Chelsea. Evans isn't expecting any issues.

Fleetwood boss Crainey said: "Gillingham have a mixed balance, they can go direct, and they can also play some good football on the ground as well but we think we can match them.

"The lads are in a buoyant mood after the win and that breeds confidence in the camp. That game is done now, and I reiterated that to the group that if we don’t win on Saturday, Tuesday doesn’t count in my eyes.”