Gillingham will be patching some of their players up for one last challenge this weekend.

Manager Neil Harris will be giving those with minor ailments, including captain Stuart O’Keefe, every chance to get involved in their big match against Rotherham United.

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O’Keefe has been substituted in his last two outings after struggling to shake off a calf injury.

“We have been trying to manage Stuart O’Keefe throughout the week,” said the Gills boss, who is now accustomed to injury issues at the club.

“We have had issues since day one, since February 1, we tried to embrace those issues and accept what it is, I can’t change that until planning for next year and to a certain degree I won’t be able to completely change it until you have had various transfer windows but Stuey, like a couple of them, we will try and patch them up and get them through, to give them the best shot they have to being available for Saturday.

“In weeks gone by we have done things from cryotherapy to acupuncture to various injections for the players just to give them every opportunity and the chairman has been hugely supportive in giving us the opportunity to help the players.

“Because we have such a small squad we have to do everything we can to get the players on the pitch. If it means I have to be flexible with training routines and maybe some rules and regulations I like to set for training, with minutes in the build-up to a game, I have had to be really mindful of that because we have to get players on the pitch.”

Winger Mustapha Carayol has been struggling with hamstring injuries and hasn’t lasted a 90 minutes under Harris. He’s a long-shot for the weekend, the boss admits.

He said: “If we can get him on the grass this Thursday (today) and into the training group then maybe he has a chance of some impact on the weekend, but he has started two games of football in 12 weeks, it is going to be a big ask of him.

“He is out of contract in the summer and wants to show the footballing world he is fit, so if we can get him on the pitch fantastic.”

Charlie Kelman is suspended and Robbie McKenzie is out with ankle ligament damage