John McGreal expects his Colchester United players to relish taking on Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena tomorrow.

And the U’s head coach is predicting an entertaining contest, as his side go in search of a third successive away league win for the first time in nearly nine years.

Colchester are on a high, following their excellent 2-1 win at in-form Newport County, on Tuesday night.

In contrast, the Sky Blues are smarting following their 1-0 home reverse at the hands of Forest Green Rovers in midweek and have gone three matches without scoring, in a four-match winless run.

Nevertheless, boss McGreal is expecting a tough contest and one that will be pleasing on the eye.

McGreal said: “It was a great win at Newport and we’re hoping to try and back that up again but we know that it’s a totally different game tomorrow.

“We know it’s going to be tough on a big pitch but we have to get ourselves right and prepare right as we normally do and try and go there and get the three points.

“You’d imagine it will be a bit of a football match again, as they try and do things the right way as we do and I’m expecting a really good game.

“They’ll be looking to bounce back and we’ll be looking to continue our form in a nice stadium on a lovely pitch, so it should be an open game.

“It’s going to be a different tactical aspect to Newport but it’s one to look forward to.

“Coventry are a big club in our league – it’s a great game and a great occasion to go there and try and win a game of football.

“I don’t think we can be blinded by what Coventry have done.

“They’ve been up near the top seven all season and have just fallen out of it but that’s the way this league is.

“It’s so tight and it’s very similar to last year.

“Luton have put a couple of wins together and now find themselves at the top of the league and that works at the top, as well as the bottom.

“We’ve hit a bit of form of late with three wins out of our last four which is very good and we’re hoping to back that up again, this weekend.”

Colchester are likely to welcome winger Drey Wright back to their squad after he sat out their win at Newport with an ankle injury.

But Kane Vincent-Young and Doug Loft are set to miss out after both hobbling out of the victory at Rodney Parade.

Lewis Kinsella and Tom Lapslie are standing by to take the duo’s place but boss McGreal could switch his formation, as he attempts to steer his side towards another three points.

“We’re hoping to have Drey Wright back which will allow us to tweak the system, if we wish,” said McGreal.

“We do like to tweak systems from game to game in a way.

“It gives us options which we want, along with competition for places.

“We’ve had to change things again at half-time against Newport and that’s been the story of the season, so far.

“You just try and form good habits and standards.

“A lot of the stuff we work on on the training ground we try and reinforce as a message to not only the boys in the starting line-up but also the whole group as we train.

“You have to compliment the players for what they’ve done.

“Ideally, you wouldn’t want to change a winning team but injuries are part and parcel of the game.

“I’ve said that from day one – you won’t hear any excuses.

“We’ll touch on it and I’ve been injured during my playing career but it comes with the territory in the game.

“We have a long list at times which is really unfortunate but it gives other boys opportunities and we’re a club who looks to put out young boys and we’ve taken some boys on loan who have come to the fore.

“They’ve taken their opportunities which is what you want and you want competition for places in the squad.

“I won’t moan about the injuries – it’s part and parcel of it and you have to adapt it.”

Colchester will be once again without Kurtis Guthrie for the Coventry game, after he suffered a setback in his recovery from an ankle injury that had kept him out for seven months.

McGreal added: “Kurtis was due to meet the doctor this week and there was talk of an injection, to see if it will clear up in and around the joint area.

“We’re just waiting to hear back on news from that.”