Gillingham and Fleetwood Town will face off in League One action on Saturday, as both teams aim to gain some consistency in their stop-start seasons.
Gillingham are 12th in the league table after seven games, whilst Fleetwood lay 15th. A win would do both sides wonders on the back of defeats in midweek - here’s our preview of the matchup.
Team news
Gillingham captain Kyle Dempsey will have a fitness test ahead of the game after missing the Gills’ game on Tuesday with a foot injury. He is “60/40 against” in terms of his chances of being fit.
Manager Steve Evans has said the Gills have “three or four injuries, nothing serious” ahead of the game.
Stuart O’Keefe is out for the season with a broken leg.
Tom Edwards and Sam Finley could make their first starts for Fleetwood after both players came of the bench on Tuesday following their moves to the Cods in the recent transfer window.
James Hill and Jay Matete could also feature after missing out on Tuesday.
Manager Joey Barton has no fresh injury concerns.
Predicted lineups
Gillingham (possible 4-2-3-1): Bonham - Jackson, Tucker, Drysdale, Ogilvie - Eccles, O’Connor - Samuel, Mellis, Graham - Oliver.
Fleetwood (possible 4-3-3): Leutwiler - Burns, Holgate, Mulgrew, Andrew - Whelan, Camps, Coutts - Saunders, Evans, Madden.
Form guide
After losing just once in their first five league games, Gillingham have suffered back-to-back defeats against MK Dons and Portsmouth.
After falling to a 2-0 defeat at Stadium MK on Saturday, the Blues succumbed to the same scoreline at the hands of Portsmouth on Tuesday night. Evans will be hoping his side can bounce back here.
FT: Gillingham 0-2 Portsmouth. #Gills pic.twitter.com/rimYAOxLPX
— Gillingham FC (@TheGillsFC) October 20, 2020
Fleetwood themselves have had a tough start to the season. Despite recently beating league leaders Hull City 4-1, they sit 15th in League One with just two wins from their opening seven games.
Most recently, they fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Accrington Stanley on Tuesday night.
Ones to watch
If fit, Kyle Dempsey is one to watch for Gillingham. The midfielder will be facing his former club and it vital to Gillingham’s midfield, adding experience in a young side.
Callum Camps and Harvey Saunders are the duo to watch for Fleetwood. Both players have three goals and one assist to their name this campaign, and will be hoping to cause problems going forward at Priestfield on Saturday.
Previous meetings
The teams are yet to meet this season, and last season’s equivalent didn’t happen because of the season being cut short.
In the reverse fixture last year, however, the teams played out a 1-1 draw at Highbury as Gillingham’s Alex Jakubiak cancelled out Paddy Madden’s opener.
In total, the teams have met 13 times in the past, with Fleetwood winning five meetings compared to Gillingham’s four. There have also been four draws between the sides.
How to watch
The game has not been selected for TV coverage in the UK, but an iFollow pass can be purchased for £10 to stream the game live.
Gillingham season ticket holders can watch for free via a code that should have been received from the club.
What the managers have said
Gillingham manager Steve Evans wants his side to bounce back from their recent poor form on Saturday.
He recently told the club website: "If you make errors you get punished. This is as tough as League One has been since Leeds United were in it. This is the toughest start to a league campaign I have had for a while.
“We need to speak with our players honestly. When you see in your eyes, as the head coach, where the mistakes are you have to plan how to work on the training ground to make sure they do not happen again.”
Fleetwood boss Joey Barton wants his side to go out firing after drawing back-to-back blanks in front of goal.
He told the Blackpool Gazette: “Callum Camps and Harvey Saunders have weighed in with the lion’s share of the goals and you always know Josh Morris, Ched Evans and Paddy Madden will start to come through with goals. You just have to sit back and trust the process.
“I am absolutely fine. I see a lot of the hard work from the boys on the training ground. If we weren’t creating opportunities I would be worried.”