What exactly is John Marquis’ injury?
He’s been back in and trained. Because the first scan was ambiguous, he’s actually had another scan today (Thursday), so we will know more [after that].
We are hopeful that the symptoms are much better but sometimes, the scan and the images don’t match the symptoms, that is why sometimes you need to rescan just to find out more information really.
We are hopeful that will clear it up and if the images reflect the symptoms and what John is saying, then hopefully, he will be available on Saturday.
What are the results of Paul Downing’s injury?
He’s got a grade one tear in the soleus (leg muscle).
How long will that keep him out for?
Not long. I think he will be back on the grass on Monday but Saturday is too soon.
How do you go about picking a team with no centre-backs available?
It’s not been easy because obviously we’ve lost Clark Robertson to a long-term injury, our captain, and no one foresees the season Paul Downing has had. It has just been one thing after the other.
It’s been a hamstring injury, then Covid, then another hamstring injury and then a calf injury. He’s had a really, really bad run and he’s incredibly professional. He does everything by the letter and sometimes, these things happen and you have to feel sorry for him.
I know however disappointed we are, times that by ten and you wouldn’t even be close to the feeling Paul has right now, so our heart is always with the player. We’ve got to try and work out how we can play without any centre halves.
In a back three, you can be more flexible in the wider centre-back roles. How much tougher is it to replace the player in the middle of a trio?
The one that plays in the middle [is really tough to replace].
We had that period when we just played with one centre half with Rags (Sean Raggett) in the middle. Kieron’s (Freeman) a right-back who can play on the right side of the back three and Shaun Williams, who is a centre midfielder, playing on the left side.
We will have a decision to make. Whether it is a three or a four, there is not a perfect solution. That is the truth, but what we have to do is find the very best solution.
How do you see the game against Gillingham?
A physical, direct, competitive team. They had a really good season last time out. They have some really good players, have a real goal threat at the top end of the pitch with Vadaine Oliver and John Akinde, who is a boy we know well.
I think they have some top players in the division, people like [Kyle] Dempsey, the central midfielder and captain who is a mobile, athletic box-to-box midfielder. I know he hasn’t played recently because of injury but we wonder if he will be available come Saturday.
I think they have got two good centre halves, (Max) Ehmer and (Jack) Tucker, both very, very good players. A nice partnership and a nice blend.
They ask lots of questions of you, put balls in your box. They are dangerous from set-pieces, have long throws. They love to be able to create sustained pressure and you have to be good enough to be able to withstand that and then to find ways of getting control of it yourself so you can exploit them.
They are maybe the areas where we think we can hurt them.
You note their directness, how tough is that to manage when you are missing someone as good in the air as Sean Raggett?
Sean is obviously a Kent boy, I know it is a game he always looks forward to. He’s scored a couple of goals there in the past.
He said he’s disappointed because it’s the first game he looks for in the fixture list. As a young player, it was always his ambition to play at Gillingham and he would have obviously had that opportunity on Saturday.
It’s really disappointing for him, especially on the 19th game, but these things happen and they are happening to us this season. It is the way our season has unfolded.
It is the cards we have been dealt and it’s not for us to feel sorry for us, it’s for us to roll with the punches and try to ride the wave and find the answers.
Is that a big plus that you’re on this big winning run despite being so limited with your recent team selections?
In the adversity, we have seen a coming together of the group. Sometimes that happens. Human relationships are wonderful things and how people do come together and they find an alignment.
For us, off the back of some difficult results, lots of things going against us has kind of bought the group together.
You now see a team that is really fighting for each other and that, as we’ve seen in recent weeks, can be really powerful.
What do you make of Gillingham boss Steve Evans?
Steve is a very competitive manager. Any manager that stands the test of time always gets my full respect.
He’s had many successful teams, many promotions. We know exactly what to expect and we’re looking forward to facing his team come Saturday.
If John Marquis is fit available, does George Hirst’s recent form set a big challenge for him to find a way back in the team?
Absolutely. George has done great in recent games, he’s got a run going. Two goals in four games, I'm so pleased for him to score his first Football League goal. His mum and dad were there on Tuesday night as well and hopefully, it will give him the belief that we have in him.
We know what he’s capable of. You have seen it in recent games what he can do in terms of his hold-up play, an area he did really well in on Tuesday night. He kept the ball up the pitch for us, linked the play well.
I thought he ran in behind and stretched the opponents back line and also at times, he came short and on the counter attack. Just before half-time he had a brilliant run, he was like Moses parting the Red Sea as he drove down the middle of pitch and this is what he can do if he puts his mind to it.
Sometimes it is just belief and rhythm and rhythm of games can give him the belief and hopefully, this can be the catalyst to really push him on and allow him to have the successful season his hard work deserves.
Is that the way you wanted players like George Hirst to respond when losing someone such as John Marquis?
Absolutely. When a player picks up an injury, you are obviously disappointed for the player but ultimately, I only see the positive and the positive is that it creates an opportunity for someone else.
That somebody else was George Hirst and George has really taken the opportunity and good on him.
Since beating Crystal Palace’s under-21s, do you think competition across your squad as a whole has improved?
Yes, I do. I think it was a really important game actually and an important win.
It helped the feeling in the group and around the club actually, it was only a Papa John’s game but to win the game in the way we did and play in the way we did to qualify as well, I think it gave everybody a good feeling.
Do you think that can help John Marquis as well because of the standards George Hirst has set?
The challenge for John now is to get fit and then he has to fight his way back in the team because the team has done very well without him.
Would you consider move Lee Brown into a back three as opposed to a wing-back because of your defensive issues?
I think that is one of the options. I think that is one of the solutions we have. I don’t think any of them are perfect, I think they all required somebody, maybe two to three to play out of position.
We had people playing out of position and Tuesday and we were still able to execute a really good performance. We won’t be using that as an excuse.
Can he play as a centre-back in that system?
I think it is a position he can play in.
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Gillingham go into the game without a win in five in the league. When you are in good confidence, does that give you a boost?
For us, when we didn’t get too low when we had the difficult run. We tried to work out the whys and I think then when we try not to get above ourselves and ahead of ourselves and get too high. It is just to work out why we are winning and try to replicate that.
That is what you have got to be able to do. You have got to stay really humble. I think the fact we have so many challenges at the moment is actually good because you go to Gillingham and it is like the world is against us almost with a number of things going against us and we are quite happy with that.
It is quite a nice place for us to be, we have stayed really determined, really focussed and go to Gillingham, which will be a very tough game, looking to extend the unbeaten run.