Manager Paul Hurst is expecting a tough game when Colchester United visit the Sands Venue Stadium on Saturday, but one for everyone to look forward to.
Scunthorpe come into the match on the back of last weekend’s victory at Forest Green Rovers, which made it five wins in succession in all competitions and will be hoping for a victory that could help them further climb the table.
Colchester sit eighth ahead of this weekend’s match and have impressed under the management of John McGreal this season.
Hurst told iFollow Iron: “We’re looking forward to the game and it’ll be a challenge for us. They’re a very good team, for me, and narrowly missed out on the play-offs on the final day of last season despite getting the victory they wanted.
“They’ve had a very good cup run already and are still in the Carabao Cup (at the quarter-final stage), which is really good for them. They have some very good players, and I like watching them.
“At the same time though, we’re in good form, playing some good football and scoring goals. They have a good clean sheet record so I know that will be a challenge too. All in all, it should be a good game of football, so we’ll see if that pans out on Saturday.
“They have two very quick full-backs which will be a challenge for our lads as well, in addition to attacking players. They have nearly enough all the ingredients you’d want in a team. John has done a good job there over the years. When they lose a couple of players, they seem to replace them well and I’m sure they’ll be looking to go one better than last year, if not for the automatic places.”
In terms of injuries, United have no fresh worries and Yann Songo’o came through the Under-23s game at Mansfield Town in midweek fine.
The match saw the midfielder play for the first time since dislocating his toe in early November, with Hurst adding: “Yann came through the Under-23s game well, along with the other lads who played in that, so the treatment room is a lot less busy. Hopefully that can stay the case.
“Yann was a bit tired and stiff, and had a dead calf, but it’s nothing that should keep him out of the weekend. He’ll come into contention as one of the players who could fill that void left by Levi (Sutton, who was sent off for two bookable offences at Forest Green last week so is suspended for one game.
“We’re in a good place. Jordy Hallam has been training this week, albeit not at 100 per cent in terms of being up for selection, but at least has made some progress there.
“The only one is Regan Slater, whose injury is taking longer to heal than we all would like.”
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