Gillingham’s new head coach Stephen Clemence will be facing another first tonight.

Never as a player or a coach has Gills’ new boss been involved in a Football League Trophy match.

More: Winger’s optimism over new boss

Victory for the Gills tonight at home to Fulham’s under-21s will see them through to round two of the competition.

Clemence is expected to use the game to get a better look at some of the players who didn’t get many minutes in the FA Cup game at Hereford on Saturday.

It could be an opportunity for the likes of Max Ehmer and Lewis Walker to impress the new boss, while captain Shaun Williams might get an extended run-out after being named among the subs in recent matches.

Midfielder Tim Dieng could also get some valuable minutes as he looks to up his fitness following injury. He made a brief appearances off the bench at the weekend.

Clemence said: “We have one or two issues and we will see who is fit and available. There will be changes for sure.

“We don’t go into any game thinking, ‘oh it doesn’t matter about this one’, we want to win, but there will changes, there might be young players in the team and you have to be patient with young players. Obviously they are learning and they are developing and these games are vital for them. We will see how they go.

“It is another opportunity for me to see the players, I have watched most of the games this season but you don’t really get to know about the players until you’re in the dugout and you can see them close up.

“I felt I learned a lot on Saturday in circumstances that could have been difficult but the players with their character didn’t let that happen, they stood firm and I was really pleased.”

Clemence has his first taste of being the main man in charge after taking Gillingham’s game at Hereford, having spent his previous coaching years in a supporting role.

“The players have been fantastic with me,” he said.

“They know it is my first time doing this as a no.1 and I have to do a lot of things for the first time which I have never done, which has been strange, but I have enjoyed it.

“What I have really enjoyed is getting on the training pitch, that has been my favourite part. This will all settle down and I can just get to work with the players, that’s what I am looking forward to the most.”

Tom Nichols came off the bench to seal the win at Hereford with the late penalty. He last started a game in mid-October at Walsall.

He could be another hoping for some midweek action.

Clemence said: “He would have been disappointed he didn’t start, there would have been a few, but fair play to him, he came on and I thought he did very well. He is a good player, he has a big part to play here and I am sure he will be more involved in the future.”

Walker’s return from a loan at Woking means he is available for the match, as is Joe Gbode, following his brief spell out at Maidstone United.

“Lewis did well out on loan,” said the Gills boss. “We decided to bring him back, to shore up the squad a bit, and I think he has done well in training and he might have something to offer.”

Kick-off at Priestfield on Tuesday night is at 7pm. Elsewhere, Leyton Orient take on Portsmouth tonight (Tuesday) in the other game in Gillingham’s group. The top two qualify for the knockout stage.