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Gillingham’s new signing Lewis Page won’t be rushed into action.
Page, 26, has only played half a game this season, when making his one and only appearing for Mansfield Town, in November. Prior to that his last appearance was for Harrogate Town a year ago.
Gills boss Neil Harris is well aware of the player’s recent injury problems but is willing to give the former West Ham and Charlton left-back a chance - knowing what a fit Lewis Page can bring to his team
Harris said: “It is a big part of a short-term deal for him and for us. He has not been continuously fit for a period now and until Ben Reeves did his cruciate, he was always going to pick up knocks and niggles, but we had a good record of keeping him fit, having more game time than at any other time in his career, since being a young lad.
“We try and manage it correctly through sports science and physios and the way we train and the way I rotate when needed.
“It is not completely selfish from us, it is not that we are going to whack him straight in the team because he has pedigree, we have to make sure we do right by him as well and right by him is to give him every opportunity to get fit but getting him on the pitch as well at some stage to let him impress, that is management from me within the group.”
Page’s arrival will give the Gills an extra option at left-back. David Tutonda is currently playing in that position. Robbie McKenzie is out injured while youngster Bailey Akehurst hasn’t featured for some time.
Harris said: “Everyone would have looked at Lewis Page and gone, ‘ooh, West Ham, Charlton, good player.’ I know he is a really good player, but he has had a real stop-start period for a few years now and he has not played a lot of football this year but we have an opportunity with Lewis.”
The newcomer lives in Essex and has been training with the Gills for a few weeks before signing his short-term contract. He recently played in a 60-minute training ground match against Dover.
Harris said: “He did extremely well (in the game) but Lewis isn’t quite ready at the moment.
“It is an opportunity for now and the rest of the season to train with us, to have a look at us, for me to look at him, us to assess him as where we see him moving forward and giving us even more strength in depth in a position.
“Ultimately when you take Robbie McKenzue out of the squad we are quite light in defensive positions.
“Whether he has any involvement this week we will have to see but it is not one where I need to rush him because it is not about being selfish, rushing him, then him doing a hamstring and being out for the rest of the season and all summer. We have to be mindful to that but also ‘can we get him up to speed to maybe have some involvement in games?’.”
