BRISTOL Rovers skipper Matt Gill hopes to take another step on the road to a first-team recall today.

The midfielder, pictured, will feature in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Bristol City at the Championship club's training ground as he continues his comeback from knee surgery.

Gill has not featured since the 1-1 draw at Southend on November 26 – and a few days later underwent a cartilage operation which meant weeks on the sidelines.

It was another blow after the former Norwich City player suffered a string of niggling injuries over the first half of the campaign. But he was on the bench in Saturday's 2-0 win at Cheltenham Town and hopes today's outing could see him pushing for involvement in this weekend's home game against Bradford City.

"I'm just pleased to be back involved with the boys – they were superb on Saturday," said Gill.

"It's been a really frustrating time for me. I've played 18 games this season, but it's been really stop-start. At least now I'm on the road back to recovery.

"I had a reserve team game against Exeter last week and the one against City will help my fitness."

Rovers have taken seven points from their last three outings – two of them against sides in the top three – and Gill knows that even though he is club captain, it will not guarantee him a recall under new boss Mark McGhee, pictured.

"It's going to be tough because the midfield did well on Saturday.

"But competition is what the manager needs and what we all need, so it's going to help everyone," said Gill.

"We've had three good results now – two of them against really good teams and an important away win against Hereford.

"The lads have done really well of late, and with the new manager coming in everybody is going to be going out to impress him,

"Now we need to keep building on the results we've had in the last few weeks."

Gill believes the players deserve credit for the recent upturn in results, some of which were achieved during the unsettling period between previous manager Paul Buckle's departure and McGhee's arrival last week.

"As footballers, you just need to get on with it and train as hard as you can every day – that's what you get paid for," said Gill.

"Everything else that happens goes on above you and all you can do is concentrate on your own performance.

"The boys have been doing that. They knuckled down under Shaun North when he was in temporary charge, and now the new gaffer has come in they have kicked on again.

"The lads have been very professional and have just got on with their jobs.

"Last Thursday and Friday were the first couple of times the new gaffer took training, and I thought we had a good shape about us on Saturday.

"Now we need to back up the last couple of results when we face Bradford on Saturday and really get some consistency going."