Preview: Cheltenham Town vs. Gillingham - prediction, team news, lineups

Two teams separated by just one place in the League Two table will come together on Friday as Cheltenham Town face Gillingham at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium.

The hosts are 16th in the table with 53 points from 42 league games, while the visitors are 17th in the standings with 50 points from their 42 fixtures.

Match preview

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Cheltenham Town suffered a disappointing relegation from League One last season, placing 21st in the table and narrowly missing out on safety by just two points.

The Robins would have been hopeful of fighting for an instant return to the third division this term, but they have had a largely underwhelming campaign.

Under the guidance of Michael Flynn, who has been in charge since May 2024, Cheltenham have largely been placed in the middle of the table this term, currently sitting 16th in the standings.

There was hopes of fighting for a playoff place as they sat 10th on matchday 34, but a series of defeats has seen them slip down the table and left them with little to play for in the final matches.

Flynn will be hoping his side can at least put together a strong run to the end of the campaign in order to build a strong foundation for next campaign, and they will look to start that run against fellow mid-table side Gillingham.

Gillingham are currently placed 17th in the League Two table with 50 points from 42 outings, after 12 wins, 14 draws and 16 defeats, leaving them 13 points above relegation and 16 points below the playoffs.

That leaves the Gills in a similar position to the hosts, with Gareth Ainsworth, who took charge in March 2025, aiming to put together a strong end of the campaign in preparation for next season.

Gillingham will be disappointed with how their season has played out after starting the term with only one defeat from their first eight, but a dismal run of results followed, which caused the dismissal of both Mark Bonner and John Coleman.

Ainsworth has been appointed in preparation for next season, and the new boss will be aiming to build on his record of one win and four draws, starting with victory on Friday.

Gillingham have struggled in this matchup in recent history, though, having failed to defeat Cheltenham Town in any of their last eight meetings across all competitions.

Team News

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The hosts are expected to be without the services of Luke Young, Darragh Power, Harry Pell and Ryan Bowman due to injury issues, while they will be boosted by the return of Timothee Dieng from suspension.

After ending a four-game losing streak with the 3-2 victory over Crewe Alexandra last time out, Flynn could look to name an unchanged starting 11 on Friday, featuring scorers George Miller, Jordan Thomas and Liam Dulson.

As for the visitors, Josh Andrews, Ethan Coleman, Marcus Wyllie and Asher Agbinone are all unexpected to feature due to ongoing injury problems, while Max Ehmer is also ruled out.

Euan Williams is also unlikely to play for the Gills after the attacking midfielder was brought off with an injury last time out, meaning Joseph Gbode could start.

Gillingham secured their first win under Ainsworth last time out, extending their unbeaten run to eight games, and a largely unchanged starting team is expected to feature on Friday.

Cheltenham Town possible starting lineup: Day; Jude-Boyd, Stubbs, Bradbury; Thomas, Kinsella, Bennett, Archer, Haynes; Backwell, Miller

Gillingham possible starting lineup: Holtam; Gale, Masterson, Ogie; Hutton, McKenzie, Little, Clark; Gbode; Nevitt, Rowe

We say: Cheltenham Town 1-1 Gillingham

These two sides are separated by only three points and one place in the League Two table, while they have also drawn each of their past two meetings, leading us to expect another draw here.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.