Gillingham begin the second half of their pre-season programme today as the relentless work continues.

The Gills have four friendly fixtures left and plenty of training in between before they kick off their League 2 challenge at home to Carlisle United on August 10.

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Dartford are up next on Tuesday night, before they take on National League Southend United at the weekend, a match against Southampton’s under-21s behind closed doors the following week and then a trip to Woking on Saturday, August 3.

“We have a busy two weeks now,” said manager Mark Bonner, as he looks ahead.

“We have four games to build everyone up, 60, 75, 90 minutes for all the main guys and some sessions around that, then we have one more blank week before Carlisle.

“We are at the halfway point pre-season. It is a nice situation, we have done a lot of work, it’s been really intense and the guys have been great. They have been really good. We have to keep getting better because the real stuff looks a lot different to this.”

The Gills have played Millwall and Watford so far and looked decent in both but injuries have meant several players have had to sit and watch. Ethan Coleman hasn’t played yet and new signing Armani Little is also struggling.

Both men are in a race to be fit for the start of the season but Bonner wasn’t expecting to get through pre-season without any hiccups.

“A few knocks is normal,” he said. “The boys are getting there.

“We have players who we want to add to the squad still and we are working hard on that, we will add and we will get stronger.

“Everyone has to keep up because we are not going to come off it.

“We are going to be fairly relentless in trying to get better and the players have to maintain the standards that they have started.

“Anyone who tries to judge anything at this stage is a fool, as a manager you are a fool if you try to. We are getting better. We have a bit of an understanding about what we are and hopefully, there is lots more to come from us.

“The results don’t actually matter. It’s better if you don’t lose them because then everyone is calmer and has a bit more confidence about what we’re doing.

“For the players, they will feel fitter and they have a greater understanding and they have more confidence in the work we’re doing, which is good, but both games have shown us the work that we haven’t done yet, or haven’t touched on yet, we need to be better at.

“There is loads to do. We hope to see that over the next couple of weeks.

“A team will emerge and the race is on to try and get into the shirt for the Carlisle game and if you don’t get it then, it’s like, next game after that whenever it is, make the most of it.

“It is a long season and hopefully we will have a squad ready to compete and have a good one.”