New signing Josh Andrews missed Gillingham’s game through injury but there are hopes he’ll be playing soon.

Andrews hasn’t played since early December because of a hip injury he sustained while on loan at Accrington. He was at Priestfield on Saturday but remains out injured.

Gills boss Stephen Clemence is confident the big striker will be available soon although he’s unlikely to be ready for next Friday’s match at Notts County.

Clemence said: “He is probably still a couple of weeks away from playing but Josh is someone we have signed at the football club on a longer-term deal.

“I have seen him play live on a couple of occasions and seen him play at Salford earlier in the season and in the game he got injured at Accrington against Doncaster.

“Robbie (Stockdale, the Gills assistant) worked with him at Rochdale and we know what he can do. Hopefully, he gets back in a couple of weeks.

“The medical staff have checked him thoroughly. We have good medical people here and he is on the grass already but because he has missed that little bit of time we now need to get him up to speed for matches.”

Clemence said the the newly signed striker had a hematoma on his hip - a bad bruise - after a whack against Doncaster which needed draining.

He added: “That’s all fine now, we have had a thorough medical on him, the club have spoken to specialists.”

Andrews is expected to train on Monday.

“We will get him back as soon as we can,” said the Gills coach.

“He is a really decent lad, a good bloke and he is disappointed. I spoke to him before the game, it is disappointing for him because he wants to get to know his new team-mates and really you want to do that on the training pitch or on the pitch.

“He will be fine, we might take him up to Notts County on Friday if he is not able to play the game but we will get him around as much as we can.”