Navid Nasseri and Liam Nash have yet to play for Gillingham this season but boss Steve Lovell had told the pair to stay positive.

Striker Nash was left out of the squad completely at Walsall while midfielder Nasseri was an unused sub once again.

Lovell is unwilling to change a team that have started the season in a positive manner which means those on the fringes are having to stay patient.

“I have had a chat with them,” said the Gills boss.

“Their argument is ‘I have done well through pre-season’ and they have, but so have another 20 players. You can only keep 11 happy.

“Like I said to them, keep yourself going because you never know in football when you are called upon and needed, you have to be right to take that place and go in and who knows?

“It might be Wednesday, they could get a call, on they go and if they make things happen you are in the team. If they do well they stay in and that is why we haven’t changed the team too much from the start of the season.

“Just because we lost on Saturday doesn’t mean we are going to make wholesale changes, that doesn’t do anything. If they hadn’t done well, hadn’t looked as though they knew what they were doing, yes change it, at the moment it is very hard to change anyone.”

Nash and Nasseri are set to be involved at Concord Rangers tonight (Tuesday) with the Gills facing the National League South side in a friendly (kick off 7.45pm).

Those coming off the bench so far have made an impact, with substitute Tom Eaves scoring twice against Burton, Bradley Stevenson impressing at Millwall and Conor Wilkinson doing likewise at Walsall.

“We have got the strength in depth now,” said the manager.

“We have got a decent backing now and those in the team have to make sure they keep the others out and at the moment they are because they are performing very well.”