Conor Wilkinson starts a league game for the first time in over a month.

Manager Steve Lovell has chosen the big striker in favour of pacey forward Elliott List for the game at Walsall.

He will partner seven-goal leading scorer Tom Eaves in attack.

Wilkinson is one of two changes made to the starting XI by Lovell, who was handed the permanent manager’s position on Thursday.

Also coming into the team is Gabriel Zakuani, following international duty with DR Congo.

Mark Byrne drops out. He has missed training this week after breaking a bone in his hand.

A welcome addition to the substitutes’ bench is Ben Nugent, back after a foot injury.

Preview;

Gillingham will have no fears about taking to the road this weekend.

Under Steve Lovell they have a 100% winning record away from home after taking maximum points at Peterborough and Rotherham.

Both performances were impressive - wins which helped Lovell get the job on a permanent basis - and the Gills will be looking for another three-point haul to lift them out of the bottom four.

Lovell reaction: It's great to be the boss

Head to head;

Gills wins 46, draws 23, Walsall wins 43

Recent league form;

Gillingham: Bury D 1-1 (h), Rotherham W 3-1 (a) Northampton L 1-2 (h), Wigan D 1-1 (h), Peterborough W 1-0 (a), Portsmouth L 0-1 (h).

Walsall: Southend L 0-1 (h), Doncaster W 3-0 (a), MK Dons D 1-1 (a), Blackpool D 1-1 (h), Shrewsbury D 1-1 (h), Wigan L 0-2 (a).

Stat Attack

Click here for appearances, goals, discipline, ratings and profiles

The last meeting at the Bescot Stadium;

Walsall 1 Gillingham 2

Gillingham hit a late winner on their last visit to Walsall.

With six minutes left, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas' free-kick took a slight deflection off Max Ehmer, taking it past the home keeper.

It was a win that lifted the Gills up to 15th in the League 1 table.

Cody McDonald had given Gillingham an early lead but Walsall struck back through Jason McCarthy, who appeared to handle the ball in the build-up.

Walsall were in charge for much of the second half but the late goal clinched it for the Gills.

Man in the middle - Andy Haines

Games refereed this season: 17 (yellows 46, reds 2)

Tyne & Wear official Andy Haines dished out a flurry of yellow cards during his last Gillingham game, back in August.

Connor Ogilvie, Conor Wilkinson and Josh Parker were all booked in the Checkatrade Trophy match against Southend at Priestfield. The visitors had four men in the book.

Many in the crowd that night felt he should have red carded former Gills man Jermaine McGlashan, after a late and heavy challenge on Steve Arnold. Glash escaped with a yellow.

He also made several decisions that went against the Gills when he took charge of their game against Chesterfield, back in February.

Assistants: Nicholas Barnard and Richard Bartlett. Fourth official: Abbas Khan

One to watch – Erhun Oztumer

Walsall’s 'Turkish Messi' netted a career-best 15 goals last season and has continued to thrill this season.

The home no.10 is a livewire that Gills boss Steve Lovell knows they will need to keep an eye on.

Lovell said: "He makes them tick and he will take a little bit of looking after, which we will work on, but it is down to us and the way that we approach the game and the way we go about our business."

Oztumer was a nomination for League 1 player-of-the-month for October, with the panel impressed by his form.

They said: "It was another month of highlights from the Turkish Messi whose superb free-kick against Blackpool was matched by the close control and calmness of his two finishes at Doncaster, accounting for half of his side’s six goals in October."

He has scored seven in 20 appearances so far this season, but it will be his creative flair that could be the bigger threat at the weekend.

From the opposition camp;

The pressure is mounting on Walsall boss Jon Whitney

Fans would have been hoping to be pushing towards the play-offs this season after a mid-table battle the year before.

It's not been a great start for Whitney's men, however, struggling for form and exiting the FA Cup at the hands of League 2 Newport.

A midweek Checkatrade Trophy win did at least give them a boost.

“Some of the players grabbed a shirt with their performance at Shrewsbury.

“That is what I asked of them before the game. And now it’s up to others to impress in training if they want to start.”

Last time out in the league;

Gillingham 1 Bury 1

Josh Parker bagged a point for the Gills with a late goal at Priestfield last Saturday.

Neil Danns had put second from bottom Bury a goal ahead at the break in a battle between two teams inside the League 1 drop-zone.

Andrew Tutte hit the woodwork in the second half for the visitors, who would have leapfrogged Gills with a win, but with five minutes left Parker headed home a Lee Martin corner to level the scores.

It had been a better second half display by the Gills, given a different dimension with the introduction of Conor Wilkinson to the attack.

Top 10 pictures from Gills' draw with Bury

Gills‘ results and fixtures – 2017/18

Gills team news;

Central defender Gabriel Zakuani is expected to be back with the Gills this weekend.

The defender has been on international duty with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Gills are also close to having Bradley Garmston available again.

Boss Steve Lovell said: "He is doing really well and is very close.

“I am optimistic that he could be around for Saturday."

Central defender Ben Nugent could also be involved, after a positive week, but Alex Lacey is still waiting the all-clear.

"I heard it snap and knew it was broke" - painful injury for Gills midfielder

Talking point;

Sean Clare has impressed across the park but what is his best position?

The return to fitness of right-sided defender Luke O'Neill could mean a return to midfield for Clare at Walsall.

But should Clare be moved out of a position where he has looked good?

More on the Gills;

Scally: Let's put the negativity behind us

Wilko: I needed to work harder

Josh Parker talks goals and coffee making

Keep it up! - Liam Nash makes an instant impact on loan at Leatherhead

We're on the right road, says Gills' leading scorer Tom Eaves

Fancy a punt?

Bookmakers Paddy Power have Walsall as the 5/6 favourites to win at the weekend. It's 5/2 the draw and 3/1 for the Gills to maintain their winning form on the road.

Gillingham hadn't led at half-time in the league prior to Lovell's arrival but they were 1-0 up in each of their two previous away games. The Gills are 10/3 to be ahead at the break.

Walsall's Oztumer is the 5/1fav to score first with odds of 11/2 for Tom Eaves to break the deadlock and 15/2 for Conor Wilkinson.

Follow kentonlinegills on twitter for match updates.

Match stats - courtesy of KickOff.co.uk

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