Gillingham’s injured forwards are making positive progress in their bid to return from injury.
Oli Hawkins hasn’t kicked a ball this season because of an ongoing heel issue and Ashley Nadesan has been out for a month with an ankle injury.
Both Hawkins and Nadesan are now training on the grass and although no time-frame has been put on their return, it won’t be long.
“They are doing very well,” said head coach Stephen Clemence, who confirmed Robbie McKenzie is also back on the grass.
“I speak to the physios every day, we have a meeting every morning, they keep me updated on their progress, they are all out on the grass, so out running again now.
“I don’t expect them to be too far away, they will be big plusses when we can get them back, it will be good to have some more forward players available.”
Hawkins last played in pre-season at Como. He looked to be closing in on a return in mid-September, when he appeared on the bench against Morecambe, but continued to experience pain in his heel.
“He is definitely seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” Clemence said:
“I know he has had a few problems but he has made big strides in the last week or two, it is very positive.
“I have had a couple of conversations with him, he can’t wait to get back playing.
“When you have an injury which sometimes doesn’t settle down as quickly as you want, it is very frustrating as a player, I have been there many times myself.
“It is important for myself and the coaches and staff to get around those people and make sure they are okay, because mentally it is difficult place to be.
“You are brought up to be a footballer and when you can’t play, when you get that taken away from you, whether it is a month or six, it is not very nice.
“We have to try and get them involved, all of our injured players are in our team meetings, they are seeing what we are trying to implement and when they are available they will know what we are doing.
“They are on the grass with the physios, so they are doing their rehab but not in the gym anymore, they are progressing.”
Gillingham are at Wrexham this Saturday and the head coach added: “We have one or two things going on inside the squad which I won’t go into detail on, I am hoping to have pretty much everyone available, apart from those three players.”
Clemence, meanwhile, was asked about out-of-contract striker Lyle Taylor, who had been at training with the Gills before he was appointed.
He said: “I haven’t seen him, he has not been here. I have seen the reports but there is nothing further on that, there are four strikers here at the club at the moment and I am concentrating on them.”
Young striker Joe Gbode is back after a loan at Maidstone but a decision on his next move hasn’t been taken.
Clemence said: “Joe has only been training for one or two days, he wasn’t available for the game on Tuesday. It is something I will need to speak to Kenny (Jackett, the director of football) about.
