Scunthorpe v Gillingham preview
Friday 19 January 2018 13:28, UK
Scunthorpe will still be without goalkeeper Matt Gilks as they look to maintain their League One promotion push against Gillingham at Glanford Park.
Gilks missed last week's 1-1 draw at Portsmouth after picking up a calf injury in training and Rory Watson will continue to deputise.
New boys Cameron McGeehan and Ivan Toney could come into the reckoning as the Iron look to extend their unbeaten league run to seven matches. But boss Graham Alexander will be tempted to name an unchanged side after reporting no new injury problems for the game.
Gillingham will have midfielder Callum Reilly available after his loan move from Bury. Scott Wagstaff, though, has suffered another problem with his troublesome hamstring having only come back to action last week against Rochdale.
Midfielder Billy Bingham (broken ankle) continues his rehabilitation, along with long-term absentee Aaron Morris (knee). Goalkeeper Steve Arnold has left the Gills after his contract was terminated by mutual consent.
Opta stats
The Iron haven't lost at home to Gillingham in any competition since November 1999, winning three and drawing two of the five such fixtures since the turn of the millennium, all in the third tier.
Gillingham have lost just one of their last five League One meetings with Scunthorpe (W2 D2), a 5-0 defeat in August 2016.
Despite having five points fewer than at this stage last season, Scunthorpe have conceded fewer goals in their 27 games this campaign in comparison to this stage last term (23 goals conceded so far this season, 26 goals conceded after 27 games last season).
The Gills are currently enjoying a six-game unbeaten run in Legaue One (W4 D2); in fact, Gillingham have lost just one of their last 12 league matches (W6 D5).
Since being directly involved in nine goals in seven League One matches (three goals, six assists) between November and December, Hakeeb Adelakun has gone three such matches without registering a goal or assist for Scunthorpe.
