Boss Peter Taylor is hoping Gillingham’s home crowd can help topple League 1 leaders Bristol City.

The Gills are in good form with just one defeat from their last six but face a major challenge at Priestfield on Sunday.

Taylor knows his team are up against it and needs everyone, including the fans, to contribute.

He said: “On Sunday we are going to play the best team in the division and that is going to be a big big test for us.

“We need our crowd to get behind us because, much as Bristol City could be the best team in the division, we need to make sure they don’t enjoy our ground.

“If our crowd get behind us the way we know they can, hopefully we can make them a bit nervous.”

The Gills were beaten 2-1 by City at Priestfield in the FA Cup last month but the Bristol side rested several players for that match, a fact acknowledged by Taylor.

“When we played them in the cup they rested about five players,” he said.

“We will have to wait and see what they do but our players will be up for it. We will be ready.”

The Gills team had a light training session on Saturday, where Taylor will have been assessing the fitness of captain Doug Loft and fellow midfielder Bradley Dack, among others.

Loft suffered a training injury to his knee after colliding with team-mate Aaron Morris while Dack was withdrawn from the match on Boxing Day with a suspected hamstring problem.

Morris has just returned to action following a hamstring injury of his own and may not be risked again, so soon.

Taylor is likely to switch his side around.

He said: “We have a good squad and people like Jake Hessenthaler, who has played a lot of football, didn’t start (on Boxing Day) and Kedwell didn’t start either.

“We have some bodies who can come in and do a good job, there is no doubt about that.”