JOHN McGreal has pledged to field a strong side when Colchester United host Southampton under-23s in the Checkatrade Trophy tonight.

The U’s head coach says he will have a good look at his squad for their Group E clash with the Saints at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, in the revamped competition.

To abide with competition rules, the U’s must field at least five players from the side they started at Carlisle United last weekend or five of their 11 top appearance makers so far, this season.

The likes of Alex Wynter, Kane Vincent-Young and Dion Sembie-Ferris are all pushing for rare starts, as Colchester go in search of their first victory in the Football League Trophy for nearly eight years.

McGreal said: “We’ll have a good look at the squad.

“We have the bench lads to be involved as well and it’s another game that we want to try and win, so we will be putting out a strong side to try and win the tie.

“We have two home games in a row now and we’ll look forward to them.

“We’ll assess what has gone on (after the Carlisle game) and then pick the lads up, regroup them and get that positive belief back again.

“That’s mine and Steve (Ball's) job and we have a great game to look forward to and it’s good to be straight into another game.”

Colchester’s squad has been left depleted of late, with a number of key players sidelined through injury.

The likes of Brennan Dickenson, Tom Lapslie, Frankie Kent and Owen Garvan are all currently out, while Matt Briggs and Doug Loft are long-term casualties.

“We’ve been hit with heavy injuries in really important areas for the club, which has had a bit of an effect,” admitted McGreal.

“I think you have to give credit to the boys that have come in though, who have done particularly well.

“Goals change games and at the minute, we haven’t scored that goal where we can step on from afterwards but it’ll come.

“We can still win a game 1-0 – I think it’s more to do with the defending.”

Colchester, who are on the lookout for their first win in five matches tonight, were beaten 1-0 at League Two rivals Crawley Town in their Group E opener at the end of last month.

Crawley travel to play Charlton Athletic tonight, in the other game in the U’s group.