Gabriel Zakuani made an instant impact on his return to the Gills side at Fleetwood.

Zakuani was rested for the Checkatrade Trophy game against Oxford and then had to sit patiently before getting his chance again.

That came at Fleetwood, where he was a key player in helping the Gills to a clean sheet and a 2-0 win.

Gills boss Steve Lovell said: “Gaby was unlucky to have been left out in the first place but Ben (Nugent) had gone in and did a good job against Oxford. I felt he deserved to stay in.

“Gabs is a model professional, he has worked hard in the time he has not been playing, he has waited for his opportunity.

“He is an out and out defender who plays with his heart on his sleeve. He and Max (Ehmer) were magnificent.”

Gillingham’s defenders were helped out by the rest of the team at Fleetwood, ensuring keeper Tomas Holy had a quiet game, despite much of the second half being played around his penalty area.

The Gills boss said: “I don’t think he had to make a save throughout the game, it just showed how well we defended.

“We knew we needed to be tight and if the ball goes out wide we can defend crosses. It is when we get stretched and the ball gets played inbetween the centre halves, that is what we have been working on.

“The two full-backs did great and Max and Gaby were brilliant as well.”