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Gillingham are back on the road this weekend after a trio of home league fixtures.
Opposing them this weekend are an Oxford United team who have finally found some form.
Oxford may be sitting fourth from bottom in League 1, but they’ve gone six games unbeaten, emerging positively from a run of just one win in their opening 12 games.
Gills boss Steve Lovell doesn't believe anything can be read into Oxford's current league position.
Lovell's team are just three points ahead of Oxford and will be looking to break a poor recent record at Oxford, a venue where the Gills haven't scored on their last four visits.
Head to head;
Gills wins: 18 Draws: 14 Oxford wins: 12
League form;
Gillingham (LWWLDL);
Blackpool (h) 0-1, Fleetwood (h) 3-0, Bradford (h) 4-0, Plymouth (a) 1-3, Doncaster (a) 3-3, Southend (h) 0-2.
Oxford United (DWDDWD);
Scunthorpe (a) 3-3, Shrewsbury (h) 3-0, Charlton (a) 1-1, Bristol Rovers (a) 0-0, Plymouth (h) 2-0, Southend (a) 0-0.
Last meeting at the Kassam Stadium;
Gillingham were soundly beaten at Oxford as their miserable run at the start of last season was extended.
The Gills made it six without a win at the start of the 2017/18 season, under former boss Ady Pennock.
Jack Payne put the hosts ahead early in the second half, signalling a rapid Gills collapse during last September’s meeting.
Joe Rothwell doubled the lead moments after Payne’s opener and Rob Hall added a third. All three goals came in an eight-minute spell.
Last time out in the league;
Gillingham missed out on a third straight win when they lost at home to Blackpool.
Former Aston Villa striker Nathan Delfouneso headed the only goal early in the second half after a mistake by Max Ehmer.
Substitute Elliott List went close to an injury-time leveller but Gills had rarely looked like equalising.
The Gills suffered another blank last weekend, held to a goalless draw by Hartlepool in the FA Cup.
FA Cup reaction;
Team news;
Gillingham's key players were all rested on Tuesday night when the Gills met Crawley Town in the Checkatrade Trophy.
The Gills, who included a number of young prospects, won the match 2-1 and impressed boss Steve Lovell but he is unlikely to make too many changes from his last league line-up.
Callum Reilly remains out injured but he is pushing to be involved in the FA Cup replay against Hartlepool United on Wednesday night.
Striker Josh Parker is away on international duty with Antigua and Barbuda.
Lovell said: "If everyone is fit I have a good squad to choose from. Callum will be back next week and so will Josh."
From the opposition;
Oxford might still be wondering how they didn’t leave Scunthorpe with maximum points on their last league outing.
They were 3-0 up with 55 minutes gone before conceding three goals during a torrid six minute spell. The game ended 3-3.
Since then they bounced back with a 3-0 Checkatrade Trophy win at Wycombe before suffering a similar fate to the Gills in the FA Cup, held to a goalless draw at home to lower-league opponents Forest Green.
United boss Karl Robinson admitted they weren’t at their best against League 2 Forest Green but did enough to win.
He said: "I thought we should have won, but I didn’t think we were very good.
"They will talk about the two chances they had, but I think we had more crosses and more entries into their box."
Oxford team news;
Oxford's dangerous winger and leading scorer Gavin Whyte is away on international duty.
Whyte was selected by Northern Ireland, where he made his first international start.
Injuries and unavailability have been a big problem for manager Karl Robinson and he's had controversial striker Nile Ranger in on trial, but is unlikely to have handed him a deal before the weekend. He's been canvassing opinion before deciding whether to bring him in permanently.
Robinson recently received a blow with the news that striker Jon Obika would miss the remainder of the season through injury.
With another striker, Jamie Mackie, out through suspension, Oxford will be turning to others for goals.
Midfielder Marcus Browne and winger James Henry, who have four goals apiece, could be key men at the weekend.
Fancy a punt?
Oxford are the 6/5 favourites with Boyle Sports who price the Gills up at 9/4 to take three points home. It's 12/5 for the draw.
Gillingham haven't scored in any of their last four visits to the Kassam Stadium and Oxford are 21/10 to keep another clean sheet this weekend.
The hosts are 18/1 to repeat the same 3-0 scoreline that they enjoyed on Gills' last visit.
