Left-backs John Nutter and Chris Palmer are giving manager Mark Stimson a selection headache every week as he admits neither deserves to be sidelined.

Palmer (pictured above) is currently being preferred for the role but he was replaced on Saturday by Nutter (pictured below) – who last season appeared more often than any other Gills player.

Stimson said: "The two boys at left-back are bouncing off each other now. Chris Palmer was doing all right but I thought we needed to get someone on who could pass the ball possibly a little better at times.

"There is good healthy competition there. It’s difficult because neither of them deserves to be left out but they know the reasons why. It’s good when you do bring one off and his chin doesn’t drop too much and when you bring the other one on he plays how he should.

"Good pros will do that. They’ll know that throughout the season there will be ups and downs and they just have to keep themselves up and ready."

Meanwhile, with over a third of the season gone Stimson believes he has yet to see a League 1 central defender as good as injured star Simon King.

King has been absent with an ankle injury and isn’t expected back until February. Stimson is desperate for that time to come around.

"King is improving week by week," said Stimson. "From what I’ve seen so far in this division there isn’t a better centre-half than Simon King, plus he’s left-footed as well and it’s a big bonus for us to have him coming back."

Stimson will also have Danny Jackman back in the new year.

"They will be like two major signings," said Stimson. "We bought Jackman in and everyone knows how highly I rate him."