There’s no panic from Gillingham boss Steve Evans despite his side’s current predicament.

The Gills are two places and two points outside of the bottom four in the division having lost their last two League 1 games without scoring.

Those defeats came against Wigan and Wycombe - two sides hunting automatic promotion this season - and another of the division’s heavyweights comes to town this Saturday.

Sunderland are the visitors to ME7 and they sit fourth in the standings.

Looking ahead, following their 2-0 reverse at Wycombe, Evans said: “The answer is to go on the training ground and work extremely hard.

“When you are experienced the first thing you don’t do is panic.

“We have good players here. We have perhaps three or four who are underperforming and what gets them back to their top level is competition for places and that is my problem.”

Defender David Tutonda has been added to the injury list after pulling a hamstring last Saturday. Dan Phillips is missing but Ryan Jackson and Mustapha Carayol are close to returning from injury.

Evans said: “We need a shape and a system and a way to try and compete against Sunderland.

“Wycombe were taken apart by Sunderland at the Stadium of Light recently, it was 3-1 going on seven, and that is our task Saturday.

“Our supporters clapped our team off (at Wycombe), they know they are giving everything, they are disappointed and they were devastated after eight minutes (the Gills conceded both goals inside the opening 10 minutes) and I was the same.

“We have to be ready for Saturday now and we know the fans will come out and support us because that is what supporters do.

“Priestfield will have a great atmosphere and we have to make sure it is an exciting atmosphere at time up.”

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