Gillingham manager Steve Evans is expecting a tough test from Coventry City when his side travel north to take on Mark Robins’ side on Saturday.

“Coventry are a good side” said Evans. “Mark (Robins) has invested the money that the board has given him.

“The board members have real high hopes of a good season, their performance against Bristol Rovers (last Saturday) told me that. And any team in the country that’s 3-1 down at Fratton Park with 10 men (as Coventry were on Tuesday) and comes back to get a point (has done well) – that tells you about the character that they’ve got.

“The boy that we had at Peterborough, Matty Godden, has just gone there for close to a million. I watched him on Saturday, and I thought he led the line in real splendid fashion.

“I was talking to his father at half time, but he’s a great kid and a caring kid. He’ll get 20 goals this season. He was just a bit unfortunate Peterborough signed Ivan Toney.”

The Gills boss has been serving a four game touchline ban, which carried over from his previous job at Peterborough, but that is now up and he is free to move down to the dugout again.

Evans, though, says he might stay in the crowd – especially for this weekend’s game.

“It’s quite interesting!” mentioned Evans.

“Because the game’s at St Andrews, you have the ability to be on the bench or sit directly above because that stand is empty. I saw a few of the Bristol Rovers and Coventry staff both sat up there (on Saturday), so we’ll just approach it as we go. I’ve sat a lot of games up there and if I get the type of performance I got on Tuesday I might sit up again!

“At the start of last season, when we came here with Posh (Peterborough United, Evans’ former club) in October we went top of the league, and 80% of those games I sat up there by choice.

“I quite like the idea that you see a better and more informed game, but every manager gets mostly drawn to the touchline because of the passion. At some stage on I’ll be on the touchline on Saturday.”

Evans also provided an update on his injury list after he was only able to name six substitutes for Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Blackpool.

“Matty (Willock) will be in training today” Evans said on Thursday morning. “We’ll have a look at him today and tomorrow. Saturday may come a touch early.”

“We have a behind closed doors game booked on Tuesday for all of the lads who need 90 minutes – there will be a few of them now but we are working really hard.

“Mikael Ndjoli is back. AJ (Alex Jakubiak) we’re not sure whether he’s picked up a virus again. He’s in good form as well.”

Regan Charles-Cook missed the draw with Blackpool after impressing the week before against Newport in the League Cup, but he could be back for the trip to Coventry.”

“We’re going to find out today” added Evans on Thursday.

“He’s due back with the group today. The medical team have worked him quite hard yesterday, he’s come through that, but you never know until you’re back with the group.”

Evans was full of praise for on-loan forward Alex Jakubiak, who has three goals in as many league games after netting a brace against Blackpool, but insisted he can still improve.

“If you’re highly thought of enough to be at a Premier League club these days it’s (going on loan) part of the planning process. If you’re not immediately needed to them, they get you off the wage bill and put you out on loan, plus they get you that football experience.

“Alex has had a number of loans – we have to be the type of management team that will work with him. He needs to be sharper, we’ve worked on that, and he needs to get a lot fitter.

“He’s got a few goals already – if he could get us a few more in the next few weeks then he could be sitting at the top end of the goal charts. And then your career takes a different direction – just look at Tom Eaves.”

With Jakubiak a doubt for Saturday’s game, Evans may look to change his system, but he insists it was a move he was going to make anyway.

“It’s a lot to do with your personnel” said Evans when asked about the systems he has employed so far.

“You don’t have personnel and then just pick a system, you have to pick a system given the opposition, but then you have to have the players to play in the particular system.

“With AJ being a problem, it may be just Brandon. But we were very effective against Doncaster and very effective against Newport, so that doesn’t give me any issues.

“We’ll go up to Birmingham, probably change the system to what worked for us at Doncaster and go from there.”

Gillingham have conceded late in the first half in every league game so far this season; at Doncaster, then twice against Burton and twice against Blackpool.

It’s a habit Evans knows his side need to cut out.

“I think it’s concentration” said the Scotsman.

“I think modern day football players try to break games down into segments – coaches do as well to be fair. We are probably a little bit guilty of trying to see games out until half time. In most of our games we’ve been so commanding; up at Doncaster, home to Newport and home here to Blackpool we’ve been so commanding in our play.

“I think it’s perhaps trying to see that half time whistle come but we’ve got to make it come. It’s also a statistic that’ll be there until we take it away.”

Chairman Paul Scally mentioned in some recent programme notes that coach Mark Patterson, who was originally set to stay at the club, after last season, under the new management team, has departed the club, and Evans confirmed the news on Thursday morning.

“Mark’s not been in for a while” said Evans, who took over from interim manager Patterson in the summer.

“Mark chose to move on, he had a very close relationship with Steve (Lovell, former manager). He stayed on an initial term to sort the Football Club our prior to our arrival and we made it clear we wanted Patto to stay, but people make their mind up, we’re grown men and we have to accept that decision.

“He’s a great guy he really is. He still pops in for a coffee, but he wanted to go and do something else.