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Team news;
Gillingham have named an unchanged starting line-up for the visit of Coventry City.
The only change in the squad is on the bench where Conor Wilkinson returns to replace Bradley Stevenson.
Visitors Coventry, in contrast, have named five changes to the team that were beaten 2-0 at Blackpool in midweek.
Gillingham: Holy, O’Neill, Garmston, Zakuani, Ehmer, Byrne, Bingham, Charles-Cook, Parker, Eaves, Hanlan. Subs: Hadler, Lacey, Wilkinson, Fuller, Reilly, List, Nasseri.
Coventry: Burge, Grimmer, Mason, Willis, Doyle, Hyam, Clarke-Harris, Bayliss, Andreu, Thomas, Shipley. Subs: O'Brien, Davies, Hiwula, Brown, Allassani, Ponticelli, Bakayoko.
Preview;
Gillingham head into their weekend clash with mixed feelings after a heavy midweek defeat to Sunderland.
While their attacking play was impressive, they gave Sunderland a helping hand with some individual errors that were ruthlessly capitalised on.
Boss Steve Lovell will be hoping his men can cut out the mistakes this weekend and continue playing the sort of football that has made them a joy to watch so far this season.
Visitors Coventry City are back in League 1 after a season playing in the basement division. The Sky Blues have made a swift return, through the play-offs, following their relegation at the end of the 2016/17 season.
City have picked up four points from their first four games, losing 2-0 to Blackpool in their last outing, on Tuesday night.
Head to head;
Gills wins: 16 Draws: 11 Coventry wins: 26
League form;
Gillingham (LLWW, 9th): Sunderland (h) 1-4, Walsall (a) 1-2, Burton (h) 3-1, Accrington (a) 2-0.
Coventry (LWDL, 16th): Blackpool (a) 0-2, Plymouth (h) 1-0, Wimbledon (a) 0-0, Scunthorpe (h) 1-2.
Last meeting at Priestfield;
Gillingham came from behind to beat a Coventry side sitting bottom of the League 1 table when they met at Priestfield in September 2016.
Coventry took the lead with a goal from Kyel Reid but Max Ehmer’s header levelled it before the break.
Billy Knott capped an impressive performance by firing home the winner in the second half.#
Gillingham were in need of a win after taking just one point from their three games prior to Coventry’s visit.
Coventry left Priestfield that day still looking for a first League 1 win, after nine attempts.
Last time out for Gills;
Three goals in 17 minutes turned Wednesday night’s game on its head after Tom Eaves had given Gillingham an early lead.
Gillingham weren’t short of goalscoring chances in an entertaining game at Priestfield and it would have been a different story had they taken a few of them.
Eaves had an effort off the line after the break and also hit the woodwork, those chances coming either side of Sunderland grabbing a fourth.
Reaction: Mixed emotions from boss Steve Lovell
Click here for more pictures from Wednesday night’s defeat
Team news;
Saturday’s game is likely to come too soon for Dean Parrett and Josh Rees.
Both are nearing a return from their respective injuries.
Elliott List was involved for the first time, against Sunderland, making an impression off the bench.
Gillingham are likely to have Conor Wilkinson available again after missing the midweek game with a knock.
Boss Steve Lovell could stick with the same eleven, however, after asking plenty of questions for Sunderland’s defence in midweek.
More on the Gills;
Brandon Hanlan’s impact at Gillingham has made him a marked man
Gills midfielder looking forward to facing his former team
The Shouting Men column: Midfield man glad to take physio advice
From the opposition;
A second defeat of the season in midweek left Coventry boss Mark Robins unimpressed.
They were beaten 2-0 by Blackpool on Tuesday night and Robins was scathing in his criticism of his team.
Robins said: “Even though we’ve got more pace in the side than we had last year, we did look pedestrian and it’s unacceptable. They owe me a performance and owe the supporters a performance on Saturday.”
Blackpool scored both goals in the second half.
“It’s the poorest I’ve seen us for a long time,” said the manager, who led City to play-off glory in League 2 last season.
“I’m at a loss to understand how any players can underperform as much as they did.
“It was a poor performance and this early in the season it certainly isn’t what we’re looking for.”
Man in the middle - Michael Salisbury;
Games: 4, yellows: 10, reds: 0
Tom Eaves scored a stoppage-time penalty against Oldham at the end of last season, the last time Mr Salisbury took charge of a game involving the Gills.
The referee pointed to the spot after an off the ball incident involving Wilfried Moimbe. The Oldham man was sent off and Eaves fired home from 12 yards to bag a point for the Gills, as the game ended 1-1.
Assistants: Paul Kelly & Samuel Ogles, fourth official: Nigel Lugg.
Fancy a punt?
Gillingham are the 11/8 favourites to win Saturday's game with bookmakers William Hill. It's 12/5 for the draw and 19/10 for an away win.
Four-goal leading score Tom Eaves is 13/10 to continue his scoring form with a goal while Callum Reilly is 13/2 to score against his former side.
Amadou Bakayoko and Maxime Biamou are tipped as the dangermen for Coventry, both 9/5 to get a goal at anytime.
