Gillingham’s positive midweek Carabao Cup performance has given manager Gareth Ainsworth some selection dilemmas.
Ainsworth made six changes on Tuesday night against AFC Wimbledon from the team which started last Saturday’s league victory over Walsall.
The Gills fought back to draw the first-round tie against the Dons 1-1, before losing on penalties.
Ainsworth changed his midfield trio for the match, switched Elliott Nevitt for Marcus Wyllie upfront, gave Jake Turner an outing in goal and brought in Sam Gale for injured centre-half Conor Masterson.
Ainsworth said: “There’s players that have been waiting a long time, a couple of years, to get fit and perform.
“I think there were a couple of players last year who were stop, start, really and didn’t get going. Under me, they’ll all get a chance.
“This is why I have this smaller squad, because everyone can smell the first team.
“The three in midfield swapped around with Nelson (Khumbeni), Jonny (Williams) and Ethan (Coleman). There’s not much between the three that started Saturday and the three that started Tuesday. That’s great. That’s strength in depth.
“Across the back we were very similar. Jake’s come in, been solid, and with the forwards, I’m really pleased.”
The Gills return to League 2 action this Saturday with a trip to Tranmere Rovers.
Ainsworth was impressed to see his team give League 1 newboys Wimbledon a run for their money in the week.
He said: “We’ve got something going here and I think that momentum in the second half, everyone could feel it. It wasn’t just a watch, it was a feeling, and that’s what I’m all about.
“I can’t wait to get stuck into the next team.
“The team were great. We have players running through brick walls. There are really good signs for me that the boys are buying in.
“They will give everything. That’s half the battle, because a lot of managers won’t have the belief that my players have got, hopefully, in what we’re trying to do as a staff.
“They believe in us and I certainly believe in them. We’re proud of where we are. It’s not always the football tactical patterns thing that clicks. It’s a togetherness and a belief and that was definitely evident.
“I think that was evident from players, fans, staff, everybody and definitely when you see a team like Wimbledon, who have done brilliant to get to League 1, they were then thinking, ‘We need to slow this game down. This is too much for us’. That was great to see. I was pleased by that.”
