Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth says his team will be playing with the pressure off them this weekend.
Ainsworth fielded a patched-up side that were soundly beaten in midweek by MK Dons, and the manager could be facing similar selection issues ahead of Saturday’s trip to Cambridge United.
With so many of his first-choice players in the treatment room, Ainsworth knows another tough test awaits.
“I’ve probably had one more [injury] from Tuesday night, which is insane,” Ainsworth said.
“[They are] all starters. We have a hell of a lot of injuries. Some may be back for Saturday but we’re not going to be anything like full strength.
“That’s the reason, really, why we’re coming up short a little bit and I feel for the boys.
“I know I’ve got to pick the boys up and get them going again but I need these boys supported and encouraged.
“Hopefully the fans will encourage us on Saturday and get right behind us. We need it.
“The reaction from the boys has been decent and I expect that because they’re professional footballers.”
The Gills face Neil Harris’ Cambridge United side, who are sitting third in the table.
“There’s no pressure on us,” said the Gills boss.
“With what’s happened here and there’s been a couple of freaky injuries in there – contact injuries – it has been mental. I’ve never known anything like it in my career.
“We probably haven’t got the household names that people are used to but there’s a chance now for people to shine and we’re the underdogs. There’s no pressure on you – go out there and give your all away from home at a promotion contender.
“But I want to go there and turn them over. Obviously it’s a game we want to win. We believe we can win.
“It’ll be tough, but nobody ever said this was going to be easy.”
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The Gills will have Josh Andrews out suspended. Sam Gale was in intensive care after last weekend’s game following an illness, so he remains a doubt, and several others could also be missing.
Conor Masterson, Omar Beckles, Armani Little, Robbie McKenzie, Ethan Coleman, Bradley Dack, Garath McCleary and Cameron Antwi have all been receiving treatment.
Asked if anyone could return, Ainsworth said: “We’ll see. Hopefully.
“We’ll see where we are but we were pretty understrength [on Tuesday against MK Dons] and I’m hoping the fans understood that.
“I’ve had a few messages from fans which has been great, saying: ‘We totally understand’. But it wasn’t good enough as well for the ones who were out on that pitch.
“You must make the right decisions. You must defend better. We’ve got to be better at that.
“The boys have got to know that there were certain things in that game that were unacceptable to me as a manager. If that’s the standard, they won’t play. But the effort was there.
“It was some stupid decisions and some wrong decisions.
“Let’s go to the Abbey Stadium on Saturday and put it right. Whether that means a win, or a good performance, or even a point, we want to go there and bring something home.
“I’ll be going for the win, as I always do but, like I say, we’re understrength at the moment.”
Cambridge head coach Neil Harris was at Priestfield on Tuesday night with assistant Adam Barrett to watch the Gills thrashed 5-1 by MK Dons.
Harris was sacked by the Gills in October 2023 when, at the time, they were eighth in the table and four points off top spot in League Two. Plenty has happened since and it is Harris’ second stint at Cambridge since leaving the Gills.
His team have lost just one of their last 21 league games and he is fully focused on his own side ahead of this weekend’s clash.
He said: “Gillingham will be hurting from a really poor defeat on Tuesday night.
“Gillingham came up short on the evening. It was a tough night for Gareth and the boys. What we face on Saturday might be very different.
“We don’t know what we will face. We have to focus on ourselves.
“It’s Gareth’s job to find the mindset within his group. My mind is purely focused on us.
“We’re back at the Abbey, 11 games to go, third in the league and we are so excited for the game on Saturday.
“I expect they will ask questions of us from set-plays and long throws. They will play forward quickly, run forward and be aggressive on the press, and you have to be good with the ball.”
Gillingham striker Elliot Nevitt is currently on loan at Cambridge but will play no part on Saturday. He started his first game for them last weekend in a 1-1 draw at Accrington and has yet to find the net in nine appearances.
