Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth is back after a heart operation and faces a Bristol Rovers side who are likely to feature Tom Lockyer, back playing after suffering a cardiac arrest at Luton Town

Gillingham boss Gareth Ainsworth returns from surgery to face a side bolstered by the arrival of a player who’s been through his own heart battle.

Ainsworth’s back in the hotseat this weekend, as he steps up his recovery from open heart surgery, and is plotting to beat a Bristol Rovers side who recently signed Tom Lockyer, a player who in December 2023 suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for Premier League Luton Town.

Lockyer, 30, recently signed for Bristol Rovers after spending time training with them and Ainsworth credits the experienced Welsh defender with bringing some stability to a team who have been conceding frequently.

Rovers have let in 12 goals in their last three League 2 matches but Ainsworth saw big improvements in the team’s 2-1 FA cup win at Bromley last weekend.

Ainsworth said: “Tom Lockyer is a big signing for them. They conceded a couple of fours in a row - and I know he [Lockyer] was in for one of those - but when you look at the team, Bromley on Saturday in the FA Cup, they looked quite solid.

“You've got to give respect to Bristol Rovers. They've got some good players and they've got a manager who's very wily. He knows his way around the lower leagues, and has obviously had promotions out of the non-leagues and promotions out of this league.

“Darrell (Clarke) is going to be a tough proposition, he always is. We're looking forward to it, but we're not going there thinking, ‘Oh, these conceded loads, we must score loads. I'll take a 1-0 away from home any day.

“With Lockyer in there and [Alfie] Kilgour, and whether they play or whether they don't play, it's up to us to be at our best and our identity and what we are. I'm hoping that the boys turn up on Saturday exactly like I want them to.”

Locky