Tuesday 13 March 2012 13:32, UK
Gillingham refuse to concede defeat in their efforts to get striker Adam Birchall playing again this season.
The 27-year-old, who suffered cruciate ligament damage in pre-season shortly after his arrival from non-league Dover, suggested on Monday that he would not return to action before the start of May. But, despite confirming a slight setback in his recovery, Gillingham physio James Barker has not given up hope of seeing Birchall make his competitive debut for the Kent club this season. "He's been getting a little niggle and we are investigating the cause of this further before we move on to the next stage of his rehab," Barker told the club's official website. "He's very close but part of the process of a long injury is these niggles and setbacks, but we are confident that as soon as we clear this up we can push on and have no more problems. "To say he is definitely out for the season is not quite right."