As many as four first-team players could return to the Gillingham squad against Oxford on Saturday.

Striker Danny Kedwell (pictured), Charlie Lee, Andy Frampton and Danny Jackman were all hoping to train this week and if they come through unscathed, then they will be hoping to make the substitutes’ bench.

Kedwell (toe), Lee (knee) and Jackman (knee) have all responded well to treatment while Frampton has bruised the top of his ankle and is likely to be a 50/50 call.

The game has come too early for Jack Payne, who returned to training on Monday and is earmarked to return against Morecambe on Saturday week. Dennis Oli remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Midfielder Danny Spiller had an operation on his damaged ankle at the start of the week.

"It’s three months’ recovery time," said Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler.

"The operation was a success and the surgeons said it went well. He had a bit of bone in there that has been taken out."

Defender Barry Fuller is due to have an operation on his cruciate knee ligament injury within a week but Hessenthaler reported good news on defender Simon King, who returned to Priestfield for treatment this week having missed last weekend’s match at his loan club Plymouth.

"He rocked his other ankle, not the one that he had the problems with," said Hessenthaler. "He should be okay for them this weekend."

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