Preview: Swindon Town vs Gillingham - prediction, team news, lineups

Swindon Town have an opportunity to start 2026 by jumping to the top of League Two when they welcome Gillingham FC to the County Ground this Thursday afternoon.

The Robins are absolutely flying under the stewardship of Ian Holloway, while the Gills are looking to build some momentum following a long winless run.

Match preview

After four straight years of meandering in the middle of League Two, Swindon Town are now pushing for promotion, and they could go top of the table with a win on Thursday.

Bromley are the current league leaders after enjoying a sensational first half of the season, though with the Robins just two points behind, the race for the title is well and truly on.

Holloway’s men have won six of their last eight matches across all competitions, including a 2-0 success against Cheltenham in the West Country derby which saw Filozofe Mabete grab his first professional goal for Swindon.

The Robins are also enjoying solid form at home, winning three of their last four at the County Ground – a run which includes a memorable 4-0 thumping of Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup.

Town have got a handful of absentees heading into 2026, though Holloway has refused to talk transfers in recent media interviews, focusing instead on the jam-packed festive schedule.

Thursday’s game against Gillingham will be Swindon’s fourth outing in 13 days, and the schedule is not about to get any easier, with Holloway’s men facing Harrogate at the weekend, followed by a couple of cup ties.

Gillingham, on the other hand, head into the New Year hoping to end an eight-match winless run in League Two – a run which consists of seven draws.

Gareth Ainsworth and his men were absolutely flying at the start of the campaign, going unbeaten in their opening nine league matches and winning six of them.

That form is nothing more than a distant memory now, with the team winning one of their last 14 in the competition and slipping to 11th in the standings.

Despite struggling to turn draws into victories, Gillingham remain just six points adrift of the playoff places, meaning the Gills still have a lot to play for in the second half of the season.

Ainsworth’s men will now be looking to start 2026 with a big result against Swindon – a team they have met eight times since 2020, winning on three occasions and drawing the other five.

Swindon Town League Two form:

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Swindon Town 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

Swindon Town’s injury worries were exemplified by the fact Holloway had just six players on the bench for Monday’s victory over Cheltenham.

The club had to recall Dani Gonzalez from Evesham United, and they also welcomed back Aaron Drinan from suspension. However, that was overshadowed after the Robins lost three more players from the squad that took on MK Dons over the festive period.

Billy Bodin, Jamie Knight-Lebel and Joe Snowdon are the three players in question, while Paul Glatzel is another concern after coming off with a potential hamstring problem in Monday’s derby.

Swindon were already without the likes of Ryan Delaney, Ollie Clarke, Harry Smith, Danny Butterworth, Harrison Minturn, Tom Wilson-Brown, Adam Murphy and Billy Kirkman.

Gillingham, on the other hand, received a major boost against Colchester on Monday as they welcomed back Conor Masterson to the team, marking his first competitive appearance since August.

The 27-year-old defender was out for months with a calf injury, but he played 90 minutes against the U’s and delivered a solid performance.

In terms of other injuries, Euan Williams has been out with a shoulder problem since May, and he is expected to remain on the sidelines this Thursday night.

Swindon Town possible starting lineup:

Ripley; Tafazolli, Ball, McGregor; Munroe, Nichols, Oldaker, Kilkenny, Drinan; Tabor, Palmer

Gillingham possible starting lineup:

Turner; Gale, Smith, Masterson; Rowe, Little, McKenzie, Hutton; Dack; Vokes, Palmer-Houlden