Gillingham’s long-term injured players are progressing well but the short-term issues continue.

Alex MacDonald is out running again after a knee injury and Danny Lloyd is working his way back from an operation to fix anterior cruciate ligament damage. Neither will be back before the end of the season and manager Neil Harris has given an update on their progress.

MacDonald was injured six months ago. He took on assistant manager duties before Neil Harris was taken on as Steve Evans’ successor, but is now back running on the grass.

Harris said: “He is building up and it is about strengthening the knee and physically getting himself into shape to be ready to train.

“We will be back very early (for pre-season training), on June 22, as a group. We are hoping Alex will be on the starting line for us in pre-season.”

Lloyd was injured in Harris’ second game in charge, at Ipswich. He had been a standout player in those first two games after the change of manager.

His contract is up this summer and discussions will have to be had.

Commenting on his progress, Harris said: “Danny had his ACL repaired last week and the report back was that for the level of injury he got he is in a very healthy condition and that is credit to Danny, the way he conducts himself and lives his life and the strength work that he put into the equation before having the op.

“We know that is a long-term process for his recovery.”

Harris has been beset by injury issues since taking charge at Gillingham and he admitted there were more concerns ahead of the Easter weekend.

He said: “I take it as part and parcel of my job at the moment, I am not moaning at all, we will see what Friday brings [The Gills are away at Cheltenham].

“While I have been here, we have had injuries, knocks and niggles and no two days are ever the same on our training pitch at the moment. Unfortunately, again we have issues going into Friday but mentally the lads are brilliant, absolutely fantastic.”

Harris has seen Robbie McKenzie and Stuart O’Keefe recently return from knocks but left-back David Tutonda went off last Saturday with an injury.

A big boost has been the return of Ben Reeves, giving the manager long overdue experienced options in attack. With MacDonald and Lloyd both out, Reeves’ return has been much welcomed, enabling the manager to switch to a more attacking formation against Wycombe last weekend.

He said: “What Ben gave us was just another attacking personnel on the pitch that we have severely lacked, other than possibly my first game and a half, with Danny Lloyd in the team. We have had Ben not fit or not fit enough. (We've had) no Lloydy, Mustapha Carayol has been fit for two games, I have started him in both and he hasn’t completed (the games).

“Our creative flair has not been there, credit to the group for how we have managed to pick up points during that period, if we do happen to have Ben available, or Muzzy (Carayol) right at the end of the season, then it is just a massive bonus for us and it does give us an opportunity to change if I want to.”