Gillingham boss Steve Evans insists they have enough players to be competitive if the football season resumes.

The Gills have lost loan players Olly Lee and Jordan Roberts from an already slender squad.

A decision on whether the 2019/20 season will resume has yet to be decided.

“All we know is that we have got plans in place that we can come back,” said the Gills boss, who has said he won’t force anyone to return if they are not comfortable.

“We will have enough players to play football, that’s for sure. We are not worried on that front.

“We knew we would be light but we are not going to put kids on the bench that have no chance of playing to fill up numbers. If they are miles off the level then we wouldn’t put them on the bench.

“We are less fortunate in some ways with a small squad but more fortunate than others in that we only have 16-17 lads anyway, the medical team tell me everyone has stayed away from this virus, which is great, because that means the lads are really respecting the social distancing and that is massively important.”

Evans has previously said it’s unlikely there will be room in Gillingham’s squad next season for the two senior players currently out on loan, Lee Hodson and Ouss Cisse.

But with Cisse now back with the Gills following his loan spell at Leyton Orient he may well be required if football restarts. He will be out of contract at the end of the season.

Hodson, who has another year left on his Gills contract, is currently at St Mirren, on loan until the end of June, but if Scottish football is cancelled then he would return too.

“All of the lads are just awaiting to see what happens,” said the Gills boss.

Southampton loan pair Alfie Jones and Tommy O’Connor are still on their books, at present.

Evans said: “They (Southampton) are probably focussed on their own stuff but they haven’t come in and said the lads are going back.

“They have both played a massive part for us and have been terrific. If they are available, assuming they are, they will play a part again if we go back to playing and if for whatever reason they are not then we will deal with it.”

Gillingham have nine games left of their season to play and new government guidelines say professional sport won’t be able to resume until June 1, at the earliest.

It means, at least, there is hope of resuming the current campaign.

Evans said: “There is no doubt that when the prime minster says that sport at the highest levels can come back, it gives you a little gee up, to think we could be going back.

“But you have to look at the practicalities around. Will games be played home and away? The Premier League are talking about neutral venues. If we start again with the Premier League then relegation must happen, as part of the constitution, so if relegation must happen in the Premier League then it’s got to happen all the way down.”

There would also be the financial cost of regular testing, which for most, if not all League 1 clubs, would be out of their reach.

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