Matty Willock only absentee for home side this weekend.
GILLINGHAM v BURTON ALBION
MEMS Priestfield Stadium
Sky Bet League 1
Saturday August 10
Kick off, 3pm
Team News:
Gillingham have no new injury worries ahead of their first game at Priestfield in the 2019/20 season. An opening day 1-1 draw with Doncaster Rovers on the opening day wielded no injuries and Manager Steve Evans, aside from Matty Willock, can pick from a fully fit squad ahead of the visit of Burton Albion.
The Manager confirmed on Friday afternoon that the former Manchester United youngster is recovering from a slight muscle strain.
The visitors to Priestfield on Saturday already have injury problems after their opening day defeat to Ipswich Town. Manager Nigel Clough will be without a trio of players with Goalkeeper Callum Hawkins (ACL), Ben Fox (ACL) and David Templeton (Hip) all missing, although Clough will hope that Richard Nartey and John-Joe O’Toole will feature.
Manager Comments:
Steve Evans - “We are working really hard and the chairman has been brilliantly supportive. He just wants us to stick to the numbers we had last year, to work within those numbers, and he is delighted with what we have put together. We are delivering our side within the numbers and these next two or three signings are very important to us.”
Colin Daniel – “Gillingham is always a tough place to go, especially with the management they’ve got now.
“We’ll be looking to take all three points with the team we’ve got. Gillingham is a tough place to go but with the squad we’ve got, we’re more than capable of taking all three points.”
Nigel Clough - “Gillingham with it being their first home game it will be tough, and they have four good players going forward who have the pace and power to cause you problems. We will have to defend very well and try and play it our way if we can.”
Previous Meetings:
Gillingham welcome Burton Albion to Priestfield almost one year to the day that the two sides last faced each other at the Priestfield Stadium, and the Gills will be hoping for a similar result after a 3-1 win last August.
Despite falling behind, two goals from Tom Eaves and a strike from Luke O’Neill earned the Gills a comfortable victory. In the reverse fixture the Gills again come out on top thanks to a stoppage time winner from Josh Rees as the Gills ran out 3-2 winners at the Pirelli Stadium in January.
This will be the 12th occasion that these two sides have met competitively. The Gills have won six of those occasions including an FA Cup tie in 2009, whilst there has been one draw, whilst Burton have won the remaining four fixtures.
Odds:
Gills win – 15/8
Draw – 33/10
Burton win – 13/10
Special Bet: Gillingham to win 2-1 – 10/1.
For more odds and markets visit www.skybet.com/fl72.
Officials:
Referee - James Linington
Assistant Referee 1 - Peter Kirkup
Assistant Referee 2 - Matthew Lee
Fourth Official - Carl Brook