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Wycombe Wanderers are no longer the broke team that Steve Evans helped out six years ago.
Cash investment has since helped take them from League 2 to the Championship in recent seasons and the Gills will be heading to Adams Park hoping to be the first team this term to take a point off them at their home ground.
Wycombe are keen to return to the Championship and have won all four of their home fixtures so far.
“They have kept a Championship squad and have added to it,” said Evans, who took his old Leeds United team to Adams Park for a friendly in 2015 to help boost the Buckinghamshire side’s finances.
“Back then they were struggling to meet the wage bill and the chairman at the time and Gareth Ainsworth (the manager) were extremely grateful and they have always shown that attitude since.
“I did it for Gareth and the people of Wycombe, I love going to Adams Park, a great place to watch football. I just wanted to make sure the club’s players got paid.”
There’s no problems with finances at Adams Park now thanks to their brief flirtation in the second tier and investment from relatively new owners.
“There is no doubt Wycombe will be in the top six at the end of the season,” said Gills boss Evans.
“They have won all four at home and they were unlucky not to win away at Wigan as well. They went to Sunderland and were unlucky there too.
“Gareth has done a terrific job and they will now have the Championship parachute payments which allows you to sign the likes of Sam Vokes from Stoke City. He has not gone down there for a one bedroom flat at St Mary’s and a small salary.
“Gareth is blessed with options that probably before promotion to the Championship was unthinkable for him.
“We know the competition, they are an experienced team that has largely been together for a long time.”
Gillingham will have Kyle Dempsey, Vadaine Oliver, Alex MacDonald and Jamie Cumming returning to the side this Saturday after being rested for the midweek EFL Trophy match.
The Gills lost that game 2-0 after losing to Wigan last weekend in League 1 by the same scoreline. Gillingham head into the fixture sitting 18th in the table. Wycombe sit fifth, two points off the top of the table.
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