Danny Kedwell will play for Gillingham’s development squad against AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday night.

The striker is looking to fight back into the Gills’ first-team reckoning after struggling to win a spot back in the squad following injury.

Gills boss Peter Taylor made no apologies for leaving Kedwell out in recent first-team games and is just as keen as supporters to see him win his place back.

“Nobody is a guaranteed a first team start,” said Taylor.

“In Danny’s case, unfortunately for him, he had a leg injury and then had an injection on it. I didn’t include him in the JPT game because we are restricted to five subs.

“Last week I didn’t think he was as focused as he should have been which, to me, is not like Danny and I am just being honest about the situation.

“I pick what I regard as the best XI and the best substitutes but people have to earn that, they have got to be good in the week and good on a matchday and so on.

“Danny didn’t lose any hunger or desire but maybe his determination to say, ‘I am going to get as fit as I can be to get in your team’. That’s got to be the attitude I’ve got to have. I didn’t think I was getting that.

“We’ve had it out, I didn’t take him on Saturday, we had a very good conversation on Monday, he assures me he is as committed as he has always been and we are going to move on. I am not going to treat people differently because they have been here longer, or whatever, I think I am pretty consistent like that.”

Taylor’s decision to pick Luke Norris in the team on Saturday paid off, with the striker scoring twice in a 2-1 win.

The Gills manager said: “I heard some of the supporters during Saturday’s game singing ‘we want our Kedwell back’ because Danny is a popular player among supporters. Well, so do I, but I am only going to pick who I think deserves the shirt on that particular day.

“It is not going to be a long-term problem."