Gillingham boss Steve Evans wants to be heading into their weekend break with a spring in their step.

To do that they must beat Shrewsbury Town tonight at Priestfield.

Victory will keep their play-off dreams alive.

They could be as close as five points off the top six by the end of the evening or a worse case scenario, nine adrift with many of those teams above having a game in hand.

Evans - who said he wants a reaction tonight after a below par performance last time out - said: “It would be great for them to have a few days off, going away with a buzz in their step and coming back to get involved in the league for squeaky bum time.

“There is squeaky bum time at both ends of the league isn’t there? You have to make sure as best you can that you are at the top end and we want to be top end squeaky bum, not bottom end squeaky bum.”

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The Gills are without a game this Saturday following the expulsion of Bury by the EFL earlier this season. Gillingham had originally be scheduled to face them at home but the club were kicked out in August after failing to satisfy the league of their financial stability.

Gillingham will use the weekend to rest and recover.

Evans said: “There are a few knocks and bruises but nothing that will stop anyone playing.

“These boys had Christmas Day off but we played on the 21st, 26th, 29th, the first of January, the 5th, and 11th at Peterborough, then back again for Oxford and travelling for Rochdale. It’s been full on for them and the break, which they have earned, comes at a great time.

“It’s only four or five days that they will have off but it will be a big few days for them just to get away and let their bodies get over those little niggles, those aches and pains.”

Anyone who has a knock will still be in. Southampton loan player Tom O’Connor is expected to back training on Monday in preparation for a trip to Burton Albion next weekend.

He is a definite non-starter for the visit of Shrewsbury.

The Shropshire side hit the headlines on Sunday after coming from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Liverpool in the FA Cup.

They face a money-spinning replay at Anfield - a fixture that has provoked plenty of debate. Click here to read what Steve Evans had to say about the FA Cup replay debate.

Cup hero for the Shrews was Jason Cummings, a player Evans knows well.

He signed the striker from Nottingham Forest while at Posh last season but denied that he had been looking to bring him to Priestfield.

Evans said: “I spoke to him in the summer but not to sign. He is a great lad, but he was not for us at that time, he’s a great player though.”

While Shrewsbury will be hyped about their Liverpool game, Evans said: “If there is cash generated their chairman will invest it in his team. I imagine Sam (Ricketts, their manager) will be in the market place over the next few days to try and add one or two players to his group.

“That is their business, not mine, my business is to try and get three points, if we get three points we will be looking square at those play-offs.”