There’s an almighty battle to avoid the final relegation spot in League 1 - here’s what’s been said by Gillingham’s rivals.

Four teams will be relegated from League 1 this season. Crewe are rock bottom and already down. Second from bottom Doncaster aren’t relegated mathematically but may as well start preparing for League 2 as they would need a 27-goal swing to survive, while third from bottom AFC Wimbledon are a little better off, needing just a swing of seven goals to overhaul Fleetwood.

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Wimbledon will be hoping to thrash Accrington on home soil while Doncaster’s task is a hopeless one and their manager Gary McSheffrey is already focussed on building a competitive team for League 2.

Those with a more realistic chance of escaping the drop are the Gills - currently sitting 21st and in the final of the four relegation places - Fleetwood, who are one place above and ahead on goal difference, and Morecambe with a two point cushion but facing play-off hopefuls Sunderland this Saturday.

Fleetwood gave the Gills a scare in midweek by leading Sheffield Wednesday with their game in hand, only to concede twice late on to lose 3-2 and stay level on points.

“We don't need to worry about what's going on at Gillingham,” insisted their boss Stephen Crainey. “We just need to focus on what we do at Bolton (this Saturday). We want to make sure we finish the job and we're up for the challenge.

“We’ll be treating Saturday’s game in just the same way as I’ve been doing ever since I took charge.”

They have a much better goal difference than the Gills and face Bolton Wanderers side with nothing but pride to play for. Gillingham will be hoping their former captain Kyle Dempsey - now at Bolton - can help them get the better of Fleetwood, another of his former teams.

Ahead of the weekend, Fleetwood have won just one of their last 20 games, against bottom club Crewe.

Morecambe also have their fate in their own hands but Sunderland is a tough fixture.

If they lose and both Fleetwood and the Gills win, then they will be relegated.

The Shrimps have managed to find form when it mattered, with three wins from their last six to climb out of the bottom four. Derek Adams rejoined the club as manager in February and after a slow start has been getting the results needed.

Their opponents Sunderland are hoping to clinch a play-off spot and could need a result. “We know we have a difficult game at home on Saturday against Sunderland,” Adams commented.

“We understand what we have to do and we understand what other teams have to do as well because you have to think that Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham and Bolton will want to finish as high as they can.

“It is still in our hands because we know that, if we can get a win, we are guaranteed to stay in League 1 next year.”

Wimbledon will have a bumper crowd to cheer them on, selling over 7,000 tickets by the end of play Thursday, but they’ve not won a game since early December. It’s 26 games without a league win for them. Ironically, that last win did come against weekend opponents Accrington, but they need a hatful of goals.

Their hopes would have been improved had they held on against Fleetwood last Saturday, giving away a 1-0 lead after a mistake from their keeper Nic Tzanev, playing a free-kick to himself, which led to their opponents then having a free-kick of their own which they scored from, with just two minutes left.

“We essentially shot ourselves in the foot,” said the report on the Dons website after the 1-1 draw, admitting they were “all-but down, barring a miraculous change in circumstances.”

Their manager Mark Bowen is at the helm until the end of the season, taking over from Mark Robinson a month ago. The change of management hasn’t changed the form, however, and the Dons are already looking for a new manager for 2022/23.

They have an interim chairman as well in Mick Buckley and he said: “We would all like to make this appointment as quickly as possible in order to make plans for the next campaign.”

As for second placed Rotherham - who play the Gills live on Sky Sports and could win the title with victory at Priestfield - their manager Paul Warne said: “We haven't had an automatic promotion out of this league since Ronnie (Moore) had the dream team 20 years ago.

"I think it would be even more enjoyable because of the quality of the league this year."

Their fans will pack out the Town End at Priestfield, with the away followers hoping to see them clinch promotion, at the very least. Defeat could see them drop into the lottery of the play-offs.

"The fans have been brilliant away from home and they give us a massive boost," Warne added. "You would also expect the Gillingham fans to turn up because they are desperate to keep their league 1 status. Everything is on the line and this is probably why we are involved in professional sport.

“I would prefer it if everything wasn’t on the line and we had absolutely cruised it but that’s not to be. I am looking forward to, if it went well, to celebrate with the 2,000 people who went. I hope they enjoy the day and I hope we do them proud.”