Gillingham boss Steve Evans insists free agent signings aren’t the answer despite his squad being hit with even more injury problems at the weekend.

Three players went off with knocks in the FA Cup game against Cheltenham Town and unless others return it leaves him with a massive problem ahead of their weekend trip to League 1 giants Sheffield Wednesday.

Mustapha Carayol missed Saturday’s game with illness so he could be back but having only just returned from a long spell out he isn’t even fully fit anyway.

The free agent market seems like the obvious choice but those players with decent CVs are unlikely to come cheap and their match fitness will be way off the mark.

Speaking after the Cheltenham game, it certainly wasn’t an option Evans felt was worth exploring, saying: “You can bolster the squad and sign a couple of free agents that want thousands of pounds a week and they haven’t played football since April.

“They walk into the club with that £8-10,000 little soap bag under their arm and think they have arrived. We don’t want them, we are not that type of club.”

It’s likely to mean the three teenagers, Gerald Sithole, Harvey Lintott and Bailey Akehurst will be involved against Sheffield Wednesday.

Evans said: “Those three kids might have to play at Hillsborough. Wow. As we stand they will be starting.”

More on the Gills;

• Evans: The referee had a shocker

• Cup replay not welcomed by boss

• Youngsters spark Gills into life