Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler is set to make drastic changes to his side for this weekend’s trip to Accrington Stanley.

Following Saturday’s shock 4-3 loss to AFC Wimbledon at Priestfield, Hessenthaler has promised changes to his starting eleven with the back four most at risk of being cast aside.

Shipping three goals in seventeen second half minutes saw Gillingham go from leading 3-1 to losing a game they really needed to win to maintain their push for automatic promotion.

That defeat left The Gills boss lamenting his sides’ inability to maintain a healthy lead and had promised new faces for this weekend’s game:

“I’ll be calling Connor Essam back (from Dartford), I’ll put him in. I’ll put the kids in because they defend better than that.”

“It’s time for a few home truths and I’ve got to change things around.” he said to the club’s official website.

“Can we get in the top three? Not on them last two performances. It’s still well in our grasp, so let’s do something about it, me as a manager, to try and make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

A recall for fit again Simon King along with the return of skipper Andy Frampton could be just what is needed for Gillingham at this time.

Essam is yet to make his first start for Gillingham, but has impressed whilst on loan at Dartford with Callum Davies also tipped to be part of Hessenthaler’s sixteen man squad this weekend.