BOTH Alan Pouton and Patrick Agyemang are almost certain to make their home debuts on Saturday for Gillingham against Bradford City - a side manager Andy Hessenthaler thinks will be relegated.

With Gillingham just five points clear of the nearest relegation place themselves, the club are precariously placed. However, Hessenthaler has boldly insisted that Gillingham are too good to go down.

But as he prepared for the Bradford game, the Gills boss delivered an upbeat assessment of his club’s remaining 19 games.

He said: “We don’t want to be fighting relegation. We are too good for that. We have got Bradford on Saturday and the following week we’re back at Burnley so we’re playing teams who are around us.

“They are all big games. No disrespect to Wimbledon or Bradford but I think they are down.

“It’s that third spot which clubs will be scrambling to get clear of. We just need to settle down and get a settled side with the new players we’ve brought to the club.

“We need to get fit players like Rod Wallace, who makes a difference. There are 19 games to go and I feel sure we’ll finish in the top half once we get our confidence back and go on an unbeaten run.

“Our problem this season is that we’ve never had a settled side and that makes a big difference.”

His attempts at establishing a settled side have not been helped by Saturday’s loss, through one-match suspensions, of defenders Ian Cox and John Hills, who were sent-off for double yellow card offences at Derby.

Although goalkeeper Nico Vaesen has one-match of his loan from Birmingham remaining, Hessenthaler could recall first choice Jason Brown who has not played since aggravating a thigh injury in the home game against Preston on December 13.

“I’m pretty confident Jason will be fit for Saturday,” he said. “Nico has one more game left and it might be a case of Jason going on the bench or we may leave him for another game.

“I also think that Rod Wallace will be fit to face Bradford which gives me another option. Patrick Aygemang, who was ineligible for last week’s FA Cup tie at Burnley, returns to give me more options in attack.”

Barry Ashby, recalled at Burnley a week ago despite a lack of match fitness, partners Chris Hope at the heart of the defence and could stay there for the foreseeable future as the suspended Cox has serious problems with both ankles.

Hessenthaler explained: “He’s got a bit of wear and tear in both ankles. He’s been playing and suffering.

“He may need an operation or maybe he can get through the remainder of the season before having surgery in the summer.”

Darius Henderson, who partners Agyemang up front on Saturday, has had the yellow card he was shown at Burnley rescinded after referee Graham Laws admitted to a case of mistaken identity.

Instead, it has gone to Pouton who committed the offence. Had the caution stood, Henderson would have been liable to suspension as it would have been his fifth this season.