COLCHESTER United are hopeful that experienced midfielder Cole Skuse will be available for their trip to play Port Vale tomorrow.

The 35-year-old was forced off at half-time in the U's 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night with a dead leg.

However, he trained yesterday and Colchester are hoping the former Ipswich Town man will be available for the trip to Vale Park.

U’s head coach Hayden Mullins said: “Cole came in (on Thursday) and feels a lot better, which is good.

“Hopefully he’ll train on Friday and hopefully it was just a bit of a dead leg.

“It was good to get him off as a precaution."

Miles Welch-Hayes is expected to be named in the Colchester squad for the Port Vale game after returning to training following a hamstring injury.

The former Macclesfield full-back has not featured for the U's since their 1-1 draw at Rochdale, on August 27.

But Ryan Clampin is still missing after contracting Covid and midfielder Alan Judge is set to miss out again with a calf injury.

Mullins said: “Judgey was out on the pitch today (Thursday) doing a little bit.

“Hopefully he’s not too far away."

Junior Tchamadeu will miss the Port Vale game as he begins a three-match suspension following his dismissal against Bristol Rovers.

The U's appealed the red card but the decision was upheld.

Gazette:

Mullins has praised Tommy Smith’s attitude after the U's club captain found himself out of the starting line-up.

The 31-year-old (pictured above) missed the U's 2-0 defeat at Tranmere Rovers earlier this month as he was on international duty for New Zealand and since then, has been unable to force his way back into Colchester's starting line-up for the club's last two League Two matches.

Long-serving defender Tom Eastman has come back into the side and performed well with Smith having to be content with a place on the bench but head coach Mullins has praised the U's skipper's outlook.

Mullins said: “We lost Tommy for a period and while he was away, Easty stepped in and he’s been fantastic.

“Players have got to have a certain confidence in me as a head coach that if they do come in the team and play well, they keep their shirt.

“It’s fair that if someone is playing and they play well, they continue to play.

“Tommy has been quality in that respect.

“No-one’s happy being left out of the team but we’ve had conversations which is good and it’s pleasing to see that his attitude is still first class."

Colchester will be hoping to make it three games unbeaten this weekend against a Port Vale side who lie fourth in the table.

Mullins added: “Port Vale are a good side but in this division, it throws up different permutations.

“We’ve got good form away from home and we’re confident in what we want to do and confident in how we think we can perform, on Saturday.

“It’s a big pitch but what we won’t take lightly is Port Vale.

“They’ve got a good manager and they’re a good side who have done really well, so it’ll be a tough game."