Team news

Billy Bingham has come straight back into Gills’ starting XI after recovering from injury.

He has missed Gillingham’s last three games following a head injury sustained in training.

He comes in as the only change to the team that started last week against Charlton. Scott Wagstaff misses out with a calf injury.

Max Ehmer keeps his place in the team and is expected to play midfield again, with a similar 4-4-2 system that the Gills used last weekend.

On the bench, Darren Oldaker replaced Greg Cundle.

Lee Martin misses out for the Gills again, serving the second of a three-game ban.

Preview

With a win over their local rivals and a clean sheet to boot, the Gills should be full of confidence ahead of their trip north.

Ady Pennock’s men finally bagged their first three points of the season, at the eighth attempt, with a battling win over Charlton at Priestfield last weekend.

Victory lifted them off the bottom of League 1 and out of the bottom four.

On Saturday the Gills are up against a Rochdale side who, like themselves, have only one win to their name this season in the league.

Head to head;

Gills wins 14, draws 16, Rochdale wins 14

League form;

Gillingham: Charlton W 1-0 (H), AFC Wimbledon D 1-1 (A), Oxford L 0-3 (A), Shrewsbury L 1-2 (H), Southend D 3-3 (H), MK Dons L 0-1 (A).

Rochdale: MK Dons L 2-3 (A), Doncaster W 2-1 (H), Blackburn L 0-3 (H), Southend D 0-0 (A), Bury D 0-0 (H), Shrewsbury (A) L 2-3.

Stat Attack

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

The last meeting at the Crown Oil Arena – Rochdale 4 Gillingham 1

Gillingham didn’t enjoy their last visit to Rochdale.

Just four days after a 4-0 home defeat against Bolton, Ady Pennock’s men were stuffed 4-1 by the Dale.

The Gills sank to 18 in the division, raising fears that they could be relegated.

Goals from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Ian Henderson put the hosts in charge at the break, scoring either side of a Josh Parker effort.

Callum Camps made it 3-1 and a red card for Zesh Rehman left the Gills with it all to do. The hosts wrapped it up with a fourth on 90 minutes.

Click here for the match report

Man in the middle – Eddie Ilderton

Games refereed this season: 7 (22 yellows / 4 reds)

Eddie has already dished out four red cards this season, from his seven games, including two in his first game of the season.

The Tyne & Wear-based official hasn’t taken charge of a Gills game since October 2014, ironically also at Rochdale, a game which finished 1-1 thanks to a late Cody McDonald goal.

Apart from that game, his last one in charge of the Gills was a decade ago, when Nottingham Forest won 4-0 at the City Ground.

Assistants: Helen Byrne and Anthony Moore, fourth Official: Glen Hart.

One to watch – Steve Davies

Rochdale have only scored seven goals from their opening eight league games but four of them have been netted by Davies.

Two of those were from the penalty spot, in a 3-2 defeat at Shrewsbury.

Returning Matt Done – back at Rochdale after two years at Sheffield United - has only got one goal so far, ending a nine-game drought with an equaliser against MK Dons last weekend. Dale still lost that game 3-2.

Davies, the man featured in Rochdale’s weekend matchday programme for Gills' visit, will be a physical presence for the home side, but it’s a challenge Gills’ big men at the back should relish,

It will mean an intriguing battle of the big Scouse forwards on Saturday, with Gillingham front-man Tom Eaves and Rochdale’s main man both hailing from Liverpool.

In the opposition camp;

Dale enjoyed a 4-0 midweek win over Bury in the Checkatrade Trophy.

"It was a reminder to the players of the way that things need to be done," said boss Keith Hill.

"We should have at least got a draw at MK (last weekend) with the way that we did things without the ball (in the second half).

“The way that we do things with the ball was evident in the first half (against Bury) – scoring goals and creating opportunities, so there has got to be a marriage of the both. If we marry the both then we’ll be successful.

"Every game is an opportunity, no matter whether we’re playing top, middle or bottom of the league. We won’t treat Gillingham any differently to than we would do Blackburn etc, so it’s a good opportunity for us."

Last time out in the league – Gillingham 1 Charlton 0

Gillingham finally got their season up and running with a gutsy 1-0 win over Charlton.

The Gills were indebted to some great saves from keeper Tomas Holy to give them a chance against their near neighbours.

Tom Eaves hit the winner, ending an 88 year wait for the Gills to be able to celebrate a league win over Charlton.

It may well have also kept head coach Ady Pennock in a job after speculation it could have been his last.

Click here for more pictures from Gills' win over Charlton

Gills team news;

Billy Bingham has been back training this week after missing the last three games through injury.

He’s been out since receiving a blow to the head from goalkeeper Steve Arnold in training.

Coach Jamie Day said he would be ‘touch and go’ this weekend.

Scott Wagstaff is back on the treatment table, limping off at the weekend with a calf injury.

Mark Byrne suffered a cut above the eye against Charlton but had that glued up and he should be okay to continue. Gabriel Zakuani made an early exit in the same game but that was put down to cramp.

Lee Martin serves the second of his three-game ban.

Coach Jamie Day updated fans on Gills’ injured players.

Talking point;

Chairman Paul Scally won’t be there at the weekend after heading to Sri Lanka to join the Take Heart Mercy Mission charity on their latest trip.

Mr Scally has so far kept faith with manager Ady Pennock, despite many fans calling for him to be sacked.

The 1-0 win over Charlton looks like buying Pennock more time but defeat at Rochdale could be the final straw for Mr Scally, who said at the start of the season he never wanted to experience a relegation battle like the one they had during the last campaign.

More on the Gills;

All about the wins: Coach Jamie Day still believes they can win over the doubters

Max Ehmer happy taking centre stage

The Shouting Men with Gills' on-loan man Sean Clare

Fancy a punt?

Prior to last season’s 4-1 defeat, the last three games at Rochdale had ended 1-1. It’s 6/1 for that to happen again.

The hosts are not surprisingly priced as favourites to win, at 4/6. You can get 4/1 for a Gills win from Sky Bet and 29/10 for a draw.

Gillingham haven’t led at the break in any of their opening eight games. It’s 11/2 for the Gills to be leading 1-0 as they switch ends. It’s 5/1 for another Gills clean-sheet.

Follow kentonlinegills on twitter for match updates.

Beat the pundit;

Gillingham had a practice game against Maidstone on Tuesday afternoon and their National League manager Jay Saunders is the latest Kent manager to have a go at predicting a selection of weekend results.

Saunders has gone for a 1-1 draw but KM Media sports reporter Craig Tucker is backing the Gills to win 2-0.

What do you think? Click here to see this weekend's predictions.