Preview: Forest Green Rovers vs. Gillingham - prediction, team news, lineups

The visitors will enter the match off the back of a 2-0 loss at Bradford City in the fourth tier of English football, while Forest Green, who have appointed Troy Deeney as their new head coach, were in FA Cup action on Tuesday, suffering a 3-0 defeat to Blackpool.

Match preview

Forest Green were knocked out of the FA Cup in the second round on Tuesday, going down 3-0 to Blackpool, which made it successive losses, having also been beaten 2-0 by MK Dons in League Two on Saturday.

Rovers are on a run of four losses from their last five matches in all competitions, with a difficult 2023-24 League Two campaign leaving them in 23rd spot in the table, and the decision was made on Wednesday to sack David Horseman as manager, with Deeney confirmed as his replacement.

Rovers have a record of four wins, three draws and 13 defeats from their 20 league matches this term, which has seen them collect 15 points, and they are currently five points off 22nd-placed Colchester United.

Forest Green are the second-lowest goalscorers in League Two this season with 20, while Gillingham are actually the lowest goalscorers on 19, so Friday's contest is unlikely to be a high-scoring affair.

Rovers, who have not won in the league since the end of October, were relegated from League One last season, so they are facing back-to-back demotions, but there is still plenty of football to be played in 2023-24.

Gillingham, meanwhile, will enter this match off the back of a 2-0 home loss to Bradford on Saturday, with the result following back-to-back wins over AFC Wimbledon and Charlton Athletic.

Unlike Forest Green, Gillingham are in the third round of the FA Cup, with Premier League side Sheffield United their opponents in the competition on January 6.

Stephen Clemence's side have four league matches before then, though, which includes three against the bottom three in the shape of Colchester, Forest Green and Sutton United.

Gillingham will view this period as an excellent chance to put some points on the board, and they currently sit in 10th position in the table, boasting 31 points from their opening 21 matches of the campaign.

The Gills, who finished 17th in League Two last season, are only one point behind seventh-placed AFC Wimbledon and will be eyeing a playoff spot this term, but they have already lost 10 times in the league during the 2023-24 season.

Forest Green Rovers League Two form:

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Forest Green Rovers form (all competitions):

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Gillingham League Two form:

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Gillingham form (all competitions):

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Team News

New Forest Green head coach Deeney will make changes to the side that started against Blackpool in the FA Cup, and there is likely to be a switch to a back four.

There should also be a return in the final third of the field for Callum Morton, who has scored four times in 11 appearances during the 2023-24 campaign.

Kyle McAllister featured off the bench against Blackpool in the cup, but the 24-year-old is expected to come back into the starting side for Friday's league encounter.

Gillingham have not reported any fresh concerns from their loss to Bradford last time out, and there are not expected to be any major surprises when it comes to their XI.

Macauley Bonne and Connor Mahoney have scored four times each this season, and the pair will again feature in attacking positions for the Gills on Friday.

George Lapslie should also keep his spot, while there is expected to be another start for the experienced Jonathan Williams in a wide area.

Forest Green Rovers possible starting lineup:

Daniels; Robertson, Inniss, Moore-Taylor, Robson; McAllister, Jones, McCann, Jenks; Omotoye, Morton

Gillingham possible starting lineup:

Turner; McKenzie, Ehmer, Masterson, Malone; Dieng, Coleman; Mahoney, Lapslie, Williams; Bonne

We say: Forest Green Rovers 0-1 Gillingham

Forest Green are a very difficult side to back at the moment due to their struggles, and we are finding it tough to predict a positive result for them here. Gillingham have won 10 of their 21 league matches this season, and we are expecting that to soon become 11 from 22.

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