Preview: Charlton Athletic vs. Gillingham - prediction, team news, lineups

Charlton Athletic will be looking to return to winning ways in League One when they welcome relegation-threatened Gillingham to the Valley on Tuesday night.

The Addicks will enter the contest off the back of a 2-1 defeat at Accrington Stanley on Saturday, while Gillingham made it two wins in three games with a 1-0 success at Doncaster Rovers.

Match preview

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Charlton's disappointing run of form continued on Saturday when they lost 2-1 at Accrington; Jayden Stockley sent the Addicks ahead in the 18th minute of the contest, but the home side then scored twice without reply to pick up all three points, leaving the visitors down in 17th position in the table.

Johnnie Jackson's side have lost six of their last seven in the league, picking up just a single point in the process, while they have not been victorious in the third tier of English football since the start of February.

Charlton are only actually seven points clear of the relegation zone and will certainly be looking over their shoulder, with Gillingham looking to close the gap to four points in Tuesday's key fixture.

The Addicks played out a 1-1 draw with Gillingham in the reverse match earlier this season, while they lost 3-2 in the corresponding game at the Valley last term.

Charlton's home form this season has been inconsistent, winning seven, drawing four and losing seven of their 18 matches at the Valley, and they will be taking on a Gillingham side that have picked up points in 10 of their 18 away league games during the 2021-22 campaign.

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The visitors will enter this match off the back of a 1-0 victory over Doncaster on Saturday, with Charlie Kelman's first-minute goal providing to be the difference between the two sides.

Gillingham, now under the management of Neil Harris, have actually won two of their last three in the league and have lost just one of their last four, which has moved them up into 21st position in the table.

The Gills, who finished 10th in League One last season, are now level on points with 20th-placed AFC Wimbledon and will fancy their chances of escaping the bottom three if their positive form continues.

Harris has made an excellent impression since arriving as head coach at the end of January, winning four, drawing two and losing three of his nine matches, and the visitors will head into Tuesday's game full of confidence, particularly considering Charlton's recent struggles.

Team News

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Conor Washington was only fit enough for a spot on the Charlton bench on Saturday due to a hamstring problem, and the forward is again likely to be among the substitutes here.

Sean Clare and Jonathan Leko both returned to the starting side against Accrington and are expected to retain their spots in the first XI, with Jackson likely to resist the temptation to make sweeping changes, although Mason Burstow could earn a spot in defence.

Stockley was on the scoresheet last time out and will again feature in the final third of the field, with Charlton expected to line up in a 3-5-2 formation once again.

Harris made three changes to his Gillingham side for the clash with Doncaster; Pontus Dahlberg came in for Aaron Chapman, who was on the bench, while Daniel Phillips (suspension) and Mustapha Carayol (injured) both missed out.

Phillips will be back in the squad for this match, but Olly Lee put in a strong performance on Saturday and could keep his spot, while Kelman's strike should be enough to keep him in the starting side.

The visitors will have to make at least one change to their starting side, though, as Ryan Jackson went off injured late in the first half, so there should be a starting role for David Tutonda.

Charlton Athletic possible starting lineup:

MacGillivray; Lavelle, Pearce, Burstow; Clare, Fraser, Dobson, Lee, Purrington; Stockley, Leko

Gillingham possible starting lineup:

Dahlberg; Tucker, Ehmer, Masterson; Tutonda, O'Keefe, Lee, McKenzie; Kelman, Thompson, Oliver

We say: Charlton Athletic 1-1 Gillingham

There is no downplaying the importance of this match to both clubs, but we are finding it really hard to separate them here. Gillingham will enter the contest in the better form, but Charlton will be fired up to secure a positive result, and we have had to settle on a low-scoring draw here.