Gillingham’s trip to Wigan will be their toughest test yet according to boss Justin Edinburgh.

His side beat 2013 FA Cup winners 2-0 at Priestfield back in August but Wigan have only lost three times in the league since then.

They host the Gills in Thursday’s live televised game.

Edinburgh said: “Wigan have slowly but surely acclimatised to the league and the manager is putting his own stamp on the club and the team. They are improving.

“I think they will be a real threat, not only on Thursday, but for the remainder of the season for promotion. Every game is a tough one but I see this as the toughest one we’ve had so far.”

Gillingham will return to the top of League 1 if they avoid defeat in the north-west

“That is another big incentive and an added bonus for us, which would be fantastic,” the manager said.

“But we are not getting carried away with the fixture. It is another game, three points at stake, and for us to try and continue the very good run we’re on right now.

“It’s an opportunity for people to see what we are trying to do here.”

Edinburgh does, however, insist the Sky Sports cameras will mean nothing on the night.

“Nothing changes for us,” he said.

“We approach it in exactly the same manner that we have done every game this season.

"We don’t have to worry about performing for anyone, we just have to continue to do what we’ve been doing, that’s playing very well, winning football matches and being very consistent.

“If we look at the fixture and say, ‘oh we are on tele and we have to showcase ourselves’ then the inevitable will happen and you won’t play your normal game.

“I have been stressing it’s just another game, it’s not about who is watching us, it’s about what we are looking to achieve and trying to go impose our own play on a match against a very improving team, a team I feel will challenge for one of those top two places and it will be another tough encounter.”