Gillingham will be doing a headcount to decide whether they can field a team to play Ipswich Town on Boxing Day.

The EFL have set out clear guidelines over numbers needed to fulfil a fixture but earlier this week, when the Gills returned from a weekend Covid firebreak, they were short of the required 14 personnel.

Boss Steve Evans is planning for it to be game-on against Ipswich - players were back training on Monday - but if the numbers don’t stack up then the Gills will be forced into making a decision. It will be down to a simple calculation over whether they have enough players to play.

Evans and his medical team will meet with chairman Paul Scally to discuss the situation before the weekend.

Speaking on Tuesday, Evans was asked if he had a team and said: “If the calculation was done today (Tuesday) the answer would be no."

He had seven outfield players training and two goalkeepers.

Evans added: “We can’t call it until probably Thursday. I will make representation with our doctor to the chairman. We want to play but we have to have at least 14 players and at the moment we are training with nowhere near that number.

“We have a severe lack of numbers, we have a number of players who are isolating with Covid and they are not due back in until Boxing Day, or the day after I think, that is providing the boys feel well enough to return.

“We will just take the advice from our medical boys over whether they are fit to come back in. Those boys who have been out injured are not on the training ground yet, the earliest will be towards the start of 2022, maybe a few days before, but not for Boxing Day.

"We will just take the advise from our medical boys."

Last weekend’s game against Crewe Alexandra was postponed after Covid hit the squad. Numbers and names of those involved are being kept confidential by the club.

It’s understood six players were forced into isolation after picking up the virus and that’s on top of a handful of first teamers who are still recovering from injury. There is one player and two members of staff awaiting PCR tests.

Nineteen games in the EFL were called off at the weekend - over half of the fixture list - because of Covid and with positive rates rising, it’s likely that the impact will continue to hit the game during the festive schedule.

Scheduled fixtures on Boxing Day in the EFL are already being called off.

The EFL have stipulated the numbers needed to play.

They have said: “Clubs will be expected to play where it has 14 players including a goalkeeper available from the club’s registered squad list, under-21 players not on the squad list but have played one League 1 match, or any other contracted player not on the squad list but otherwise would have been eligible to play.”

While there have been some calls for football to take a breather amid the Covid spike, both the Premier League and the EFL have issued statements that football will continue for now.

Fixtures will be played where it is safe to do so.

The EFL’s chief exec Trevor Birch said: “Throughout the pandemic, our two priorities have been ensuring the welfare of those involved in EFL competitions and ensuring the fixture schedule can continue where it is safe to do so.

“We will continue to work with clubs, authorities and other agencies to monitor the Covid-19 case rate and be prepared to respond accordingly, yet for now the view remains that we can continue to deliver games safely where clubs have sufficient healthy personnel in place, on and off the pitch.

“With club mitigation measures, the mass adoption of booster jabs and Covid certification now required for larger crowds, we are sure many fans will continue to feel confident in attending matches over the Christmas period and we look forward to welcoming them.”

Gillingham are due to play away at Charlton on Wednesday, December 29 and at MK Dons on New Year’s Day. Their game the following weekend (January 8) against Shrewsbury has been postponed as their opponents are in the FA Cup. That match has been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 25.