Keeper Jonathan Bond is back to fight for the No.1 shirt at Gillingham.

The 23-year-old, on loan from Reading until January, has been out of action since picking up a groin injury in the EFL Cup at Tottenham almost a month ago.

He returns to mount a challenge to Stuart Nelson for the keeper’s jersey – and it’s the kind of competition boss Justin Edinburgh relishes.

“He’s back in now,” said Edinburgh. “It doesn’t matter where we have the competition, we need it in the team.

“I need to know that we have the right competition for places to keep people on their toes.”

Bond originally came in on loan at the end of August to replace an out-of-sorts Nelson. He was first choice until his injury early on in the game at White Hart Lane.

It means the Gills will now be looking to once again send young keeper Tom Hadler, who has been Nelson’s understudy, out on loan.

Edinburgh said: “We had a loan for Tom agreed, but we had to pull the plug on it after Bond got injured. We will probably allow Tom to go out and get some game time.”

While Edinburgh has heightened competition in the goalkeeping department, he has also given regular right-back Ryan Jackson a challenge to get back into the team.

New signing Chris Herd replaced Jackson last weekend against Oldham, and was one of few highlights from the 2-1 defeat.

Jackson, who has struggled with various injuries this season, the latest being a hip injury, had originally been left out of the squad before a late call-up after Billy Knott dropped out.

Gills, who sit 14th in League 1, travel to Bristol Rovers on Saturday aiming to improve a run which has seen them win just one of their last seven league games. By contrast, Rovers have lost just once in the same period.

Read the full story in Friday's Medway Messenger