The Hat-Trick: 3 burning questions ahead of Rochdale v Gillingham

The Gills are boosted by the arrival of two new signings, in the form of midfielders Eli King (on a permanent deal from Cardiff) and Zech Obiero (on a season-long loan from Leyton Orient), plus the team's main goalscorer, Ronan Hale, is off the mark, thanks to his second-half strike on Tuesday night.

Here are three pre-match questions we hope to get answered by 5pm on Saturday afternoon.

Based on manager Gareth Ainsworth's comments on Tuesday night, it sounds like the club may be erring on the side of caution before throwing Eli King into the fray. The former Cardiff City man has already been described as being higher than League Two level. But, with the Welshman coming off an ACL surgery, everyone at Priestfield will make sure all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed before King takes his place in the heart of our midfield.

Obiero is certainly good to go. He's been in recent Leyton Orient matchday squads in League One, so he's an option Ainsworth can potentially call upon immediately. But will he?

Then there's on-loan Middlesbrough centre-back Jack Daley, who wouldn't have made the long trip south from Teesside to sit on the bench in League Two. He'll be pushing hard for a starting spot, and all eyes will be on the form of Andy Smith and Logan Dobbs, in particular, with veteran Omar Beckles' leadership making him an essential selection (H/T Pete Tong) at centre-back.

Tuesday night saw Ainsworth rotate his strikers at Chesterfield as he got his first proper look at Lamin Sillah from the start of a competitive fixture. The Nottingham Forest loanee battled hard, but struggled to make an impression in a game that saw the forwards forced to feed off scraps for much of the game.

On reflection, it wasn't the sort of game to bring the best out of a player who likes to take up possession, then turn and run at defences, and he was eventually replaced by Will Goodwin, who fared a bit better after coming on.

The smart money is on Ainsworth reuniting carpool buddies Goodwin and Ronan Hale up front at Spotland, especially with Hale now off and running for the season. He thrives when playing up alongside a big man, and the more games he plays with Goodwin, the better.

Does Ainsworth see it the same way? We'll find out about an hour from kick-off, when his team sheet is officially announced.

Gillingham faced a former player on Tuesday night when they came up against recently-released Remeao Hutton at Chesterfield. Now, they could find themselves up against another familiar face from last season.

Jonny Smith made the long trip south to join the Gills on loan from Wigan Athletic last year, but injury ended his time at Priestfield way earlier than everyone had hoped.

It cut short a promising loan spell that saw Smith demonstrate the quality of his wand-like left foot as he scored an absolute beaut away at Newport County before injuries curtailed his availability.

He got back to match fitness and returned to the side in the New Year, but suffered a broken leg at Harrogate that ruled him out for the rest of the season.

Still rehabbing his injury, Smith departed Wigan at the end of the season and joined newly-promoted Rochdale in the summer. He's made two substitute cameos for Dale so far, with the most recent on Tuesday night seeing him open his account for his new club with a sublime finish.

Whether he starts, or comes off the bench as a late substitute, we know all about Smith's quality, and that left foot. And if he gets anywhere within shooting range, there's sure to be a collective intake of breath from the Gills' travelling support.

GILLS END SCORING DROUGHT: Conor McManus nets Gillingham's first goal of the season in 1-1 home draw with Northampton Town

NORTHAMPTON PLAYER RATINGS: Defensive improvement, but cutting edge still missing

POWER RANKINGS: Young prospects impress, but seasoned vets lead the way

JACK DALEY: Young Middlesbrough defender arrives on season-long loan

POSITIVITY RULES: Nick Freeman on why Gareth Ainsworth can turn things around at ME7

DEADLINE DAY RECAP: Relive our rolling Deadline Day coverage, including our minute-by-minute commentary of Chesterfield 1-1 Gillingham

SIMON HEAD: How our young guns are offering hope for the future, by delivering in the present

A SCRAPPY POINT: Gillingham battle back from a goal down to draw at Chesterfield

ALL HAIL THE KING: Cardiff City's Eli King makes a fashionably late arrival on Deadline Day

ZECH OBIERO: Our last-gasp Deadline Day move brought Leyton Orient's Zech Obiero to Priestfield on a season-long loan

CHESTERFIELD PLAYER RATINGS: Grit overcomes chaos as Gills earn a point

OPPOSITION VIEW: Matt Turner from Rochdale site The Pearl Street Post previews Saturday's clash at Spotland

THEN AND NOW: We take a deep dive into Gillingham's summer squad overhaul to assess Gareth Ainsworth's new-look squad

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