Gillingham go into Saturday’s home televised game with Chesterfield with boss Mark Bonner grateful for the home comforts of MEMS Priestfield. 

After winning 4-1 on the opening day of the SKYBet League Two season, the Gills have been on the road to Swansea, Morecambe, and Fleetwood respectively in an eleven-day period, making Saturday’s lunchtime kick off one that the manager is grateful for. 

Speaking to the media this week, the Gills boss told us, “We are really happy to be back here at Priestfield, it seems ages since we played at home! It has been a long couple of weeks.

“It is unusual to do what the fixtures have asked of us back-to-back to back in three games, so we are really happy to be back, and cannot wait to get back into the Priestfield atmosphere and feeling that again.

“I hope that after the start that we have had and after the first game we had here against Carlisle, there will be good numbers in the stadium, generating a lovely energy on what looks like being a nice day with two really good teams having a go against each other.” 

“I have been so impressed with Chesterfield’s start. They romped the (National) League last year – brilliantly and are deservedly back in the League after a tough couple of years.

“They had some very good players in the level they were at last year in terms of signing EFL players. They have a brilliant manager in Paul Cook – really experienced, so no real surprises that they are really well fancied this season.

“They have added well, and they are in a cycle where they have developed a style in a way of the team and have had a period of success together.

“And this early in the season, that momentum just carries you through! They have had a couple of games where they are probably a bit disappointed that they have not won despite being quite dominant in, but they had an outstanding result away at Crewe!

“They are looking very strong and were extremely competitive against Derby in the Cup in midweek, they are a strong possession team statistically and they will cause us problems. So, how we play against the ball will be massive and how well we use the ball will be so important as well.” 

“It will be a good challenge for us and not playing this week has given us the chance to do a lot of work. Trying to get a balance in a week like this, where you can practice and use the week to be fresh going into the game without feeling the effects of “travelling around the world” for a couple of weeks which we hope will benefit us – right amount of work against the right amount of re-charge and we’ll see if it works!” 

Bonner is hopeful that some of his injury worries will be included at the weekend, but if not against Chesterfield, then quite possibly against Peterborough United in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy at Priestfield on Tuesday evening. “We’ve had loads of players training,” Bonner told us.

“Ethan Coleman, Bradley Dack, Josh Andrews, Elliott Nevitt have all trained this week so there are decisions to make on all of them as to whether they are there yet or not.

“They are all really close to contributing and maybe ready for some minutes at the weekend, if not hopefully Tuesday and if not hopefully Doncaster – but they are getting close which is really encouraging!” 

“Euan Williams serves the last game of his ban and then goes away with Northern Ireland under 21 duties against England and Ukraine, so we miss him next week when he may have been back.

“Oli Hawkins was missing at Fleetwood because of a freak accident in training that fractured his wrist with literally the last kick of training blocking a shot which is a disaster for us really, so he will be missing for a bit. He’s in a cast and is seeing a specialist early next week at what stage he will be able to do contact again, but do not expect to see him for a couple of weeks.” 

“Other than that, everyone else is moving along quite nicely, Tim (Dieng) is feeling a bit in his knee but should be around Saturday; Conor Masterson’s Achilles problem seems to have settled, he has been running a couple of days this week so we’re hoping he’ll be able to train next week.” 

“In some respects, Tuesday’s game is ideal,” Bonner went on. “I really like the competition because it can do a few things; it can give players an opportunity who might not have an opportunity normally. It can give players that need minutes a game and for us at the minute with players returning it might give us and be well timed for some.

“It can make you quite a lot of money if you do well in it, and if you get through the group stages and win one knock-out game, you can start to get a bit excited that you can start to see the “Big Arch”.

“I dream of walking out with a team at Wembley at some point in my career, and that comp and the play-offs are the only two realistic opportunities that I will ever get to do it!” 

“It doesn’t mean that we won’t make changes going into games as we will, but we will try and win the games in a tough group, but it is certainly a competition that we will try to do well in.”