Gillingham v Cheltenham preview

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Bradley Dack will miss out as Gillingham prepare to get back to league matters at home.

The midfielder was forced off after just 21 minutes of Saturday’s superb 4-0 FA Cup win over Scunthorpe.

Gills have been boosted by the news Dack has not suffered ankle ligament damage although he may possibly have broken a metatarsal, with the full extent and seriousness of the injury yet to be determined.

Charlie Allen and Joe Martin (both wrist) continue to miss out.

Manager Martin Allen made five changes at the weekend but leading scorer Danny Kedwell is sure to return while decisions must be made elsewhere after the positive display.

Allen admits the encounter against former employers Cheltenham, who are third in the table, will the toughest his league leaders have faced this season.

Four Cheltenhams regulars look set to return to the side for the midweek tie.

The Robins ran out 3-0 winners over Yate Town in the FA Cup first round without Steve Elliott, Jermaine McGlashan, Marlon Pack and Darren Carter in their starting line-up and they look likely to be reinstated for the meeting with the club’s former manager Martin Allen.

Centre-back Elliott missed training last week due to a bug, team-mates McGlashan and Pack were both named on the bench as manager Mark Yates looked to give two of his regulars a rest while experienced midfielder Carter was targeting this game for a return from his hamstring injury

Carter’s absence from Yates’ last two starting line-ups has opened the door for Reading loanee Lawson D’Ath but he will not feature after being taken off at half-time on Saturday with a knee injury.

Three points for third-placed Cheltenham would close the gap on Gillingham to four points in what is Yates’ 150th match in charge of the club.

Gillingham v Cheltenham preview

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Adam Birchall is the key omission from Gillingham’s ranks as they prepare for their opening match of the season.

The striker, a summer signing from Dover, had not even been at Priestfield for a week when he had to be stretchered off during a 3-0 pre-season friendly victory over Welling.

He sustained damage to his cruciate knee ligament, subsequently ruling him out for at least the opening few months of the season and more likely until the new year.

Manager Andy Hessenthaler earlier this week handed valuable game time to strikers Dennis Oli and Stefan Payne – who have been suffering with niggling back and groin injuries – which could provide options for reinforcements to aid new arrival Danny Kedwell in attack.

However Kedwell has been used as a lone striker to good effect in pre-season and Hessenthaler has that option available to him.

Fellow new boy Andy Frampton has been handed the captain’s armband for the forthcoming campaign and will skipper the Gills from the heart of defence against a Cheltenham side who claimed a 1-1 draw at Priestfield on the opening day of last season.

Andy Gallinagh is Cheltenham’s only absentee as boss Mark Yates decides how many of his summer signings will make their debuts.

Defender Gallinagh has been ruled out for 10 days with a calf muscle strain and will miss the trip to Priestfield.

Midfielder Luke Summerfield became the club’s 10th new addition of the summer when he penned a one-year deal on Thursday and the former Plymouth man will be hoping to make his bow.

As will the likes of striker Darryl Duffy, midfielder Russell Penn and centre-back Alan Bennett, who has been appointed as the club’s new captain for the forthcoming campaign.

Teenage full-back Kyle Haynes has joined non-league Salisbury on a three-month loan deal and so will not be involved.