COLCHESTER United boss John McGreal is likely to leave it late before deciding upon his starting line-up for their game at Port Vale tomorrow.

The U's head coach will check on the fitness of defender Frankie Kent, ahead of their trip to Vale Park.

Kent missed last weekend’s 3-3 draw with Notts County as he was serving a one-match suspension for his dismissal against Crawley Town, on New Year’s Day.

However, he has also been struggling with a back injury sustained in the defeat against Crawley and Colchester are likely to make a late decision on whether or not he is fit to feature against Vale.

McGreal said: “Frankie hasn’t trained and even if he hadn’t been suspended, he wouldn’t have been available last week.

“It’s a little bit of a last minute one, with Frank.”

Colchester also have an injury doubt over left-back Kane Vincent-Young who has been suffering with a toe problem and will also check on the fitness of other players, as they bid to claim their first win of 2019.

“One or two haven’t trained and we’ve had to bring in a little bit of recovery because of the workload, especially the younger boys like Kane (Vincent-Young), Frankie (Kent) and Sammie (Szmodics),” said McGreal.

“The rest has done them good, because training has been very good this week.”

Colchester take on a Port Vale side who lie in sixth from bottom place in the League Two table, following a winless run of six league games.

Vale have not won a home league game since last October but Neil Aspin’s side progressed to the Checkarade Trophy quarter-finals in midweek following a penalty shoot-out victory over League One side Shrewsbury Town and prior to that, held leaders Lincoln City to a creditable 1-1 draw at Sincil Bank.

McGreal added: “League wins haven’t come their way of late but to go to Lincoln which is a tough place to go and to then get a draw and then go through on pens against a division one opposition was great for them.

“They have something there to cling onto performance-wise, as we have.

“Neil has got what he wants out of them in their last two games.

“He had a terrific draw at Lincoln and he’s got them through to the quarter-finals of the Checkatrade Trophy, so it’s not all doom and gloom over there at Port Vale.

“They are fighting for their lives and Neil (Aspin), who’s got two great performances out of his team of late.

“I’ve got to know him quite well and we know it’s going to be a tough game.

“Big Tom Pope is a handful for teams in any division.

“He’s scored nearly 100 goals I think and he’s one that we will have to watch, along with the boy (Ben) Whitfield.”