As Mark Stimson and the Gillingham squad jet out to La Manga to continue their pre-season preparations Physio Paul Smith gives us all the news on the Gills injury concerns.

Player of the Year Simon Royce had a frustrating end to 2007/08 as an ankle injury ended his season prematurely, Smith explains "Simon turned his ankle and damaged the ligaments around that area. He crushed a muscle that runs around the outside of it called the Tibialis Posterior."

"The Tibialis Posterior is important because it's one of the muscles that enables you to launch off and helps you move from side to side. Luckily we got it early and he's comeback quite well, he's happy with it and yesterday he was joining in the 8-a-side sessions as an outfield player so he'll be alright for the start of the season."

Eight weeks on from his hernia operation Smith believes Adam Miller is close to full fitness "Miller is back full time training and is able to do everything that the first team lads are doing. Adam is very competitive and he believes he's only 10% away from being match fit, they are his words, not mine and I'm keeping an eye on him but as far as I'm concerned he's ready."

Charlie Howard misses out on the trip to La Manga with a strain but it's no cause for concern, "Charlie will be back training full time in a few days, he's got a slight hamstring strain but Mark Stimson's good in that if I say to him pull him out of training he will and that saves the difference between missing 1 game and missing 6 or 7 so the manager has to take a lot of credit for that."

Meanwhile Barry Fuller is close to a full recovery from his hand surgery, "Barry is doing very well, the surgeons very pleased and he's back full time training with the first team.  He is close to regaining the full range of movement in his fingers the only question is do we take the screws and plates out or do we leave them in and that's a decision for the surgeon to make."