23 August 2021

John Akinde among Gillingham absentees for Cheltenham clash

23 August 2021

Gillingham trio John Akinde, Alex MacDonald and Daniel Phillips remain sidelined through injury for Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup second-round clash with League One rivals Cheltenham.

MacDonald is yet to feature this season, while fellow forward Akinde (ankle) is also still some time off returning, as is Phillips, who started the first three matches of the season in all competitions.

Defender David Tutonda returns to contention after missing the victory over Morecambe last time out having been sent off for two yellow cards in the previous draw at Wimbledon.

Ryan Jackson (hamstring) is expected to keep his place after playing a full 90 minutes at the weekend, while fellow defender Dan Adshead – on loan from Norwich – could be involved again after playing for over 50 minutes on Saturday.

Cheltenham, who saw off League Two Bristol Rovers 2-0 in the first round, are looking to bounce back from their last-gasp defeat at Fleetwood.

Boss Michael Duff is expected to make some changes, while striker Kyle Vassell (calf) faces a late fitness test after sustaining an injury against Ipswich last week and missing the weekend loss.

Defender Matty Blair, who had previously suffered with a back spasm, came off the bench for the last six minutes on Saturday and is hoping to feature at Gillingham.

Forward Alfie May is likely to keep his starting spot up front after being recalled at Highbury and scoring an 87th-minute equaliser.

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