Gillingham sign Mansfield stopper on emergency loan, who starts against Luton in EFL Cup

With Ollie Wright seemingly not quite ready to start, and new signing Lennon MacLorg ruled out through injury, Gareth Ainsworth's only goalkeeping option was youngster Taite Holtam.

As a result, the club has drafted in Mansfield Town goalkeeper Owen Mason on an emergency loan basis, with the 22-year-old immediately named in the Gills' starting lineup for the first-round EFL Cup game with Luton Town at Priestfield.

Mason has spent much of his career on loan, with the young stopper enjoying stints at non-league Guiseley, Farsley Celtic, Kettering Town, Wexford, Gateshead and Southend United.

The former Republic of Ireland Under-19 keeper has made just a handful of senior appearances for the Stags, with one league game, three EFL Cup games and one FA Cup game to his name.

But his experience at senior EFL level will get an immediate boost with Mason named as the starting keeper for the Gills this afternoon.

EFL rules permit a club to sign a goalkeeper on a seven-day emergency loan if all their professional senior goalkeepers are unavailable for selection. A "professional goalkeeper" is defined as a player who has started five or more senior games for an EFL or Premier League club.

And with Holtam having started just twice for the Gills, the option was open for Ainsworth to draft in another keeper, with Mason arriving at the club today and going straight into the lineup for the team's EFL Cup game with Luton Town.