DANNY Cowley insists his Colchester United team will be fully prepared for the challenge when they face Salford City tonight.

The U’s face their second away trip in the space of four days when they make the 250-mile trek up to Moor Lane to face the 19th-placed Ammies, having played out a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Sutton United at the weekend.

Colchester are aiming to secure a crucial win to move further away from League Two relegation danger, after the gap between themselves and the bottom two was cut to five points last weekend.

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And head coach Cowley says his players will be ready for the task that awaits them, despite a quick turnaround between games.

Cowley said: “They’re trained to recover and go again and they’re prepared for this.

“Sometimes they play Saturday to Saturday and sometimes, they’re asked to play Saturday to Tuesday.

“I never feel sorry for professional footballers because I just think it’s the best job in the world and they play the best game in the world.

“I always feel sorry for the guy who goes to the top of the scaffolding and has to clean the windows at The Shard!

“They’re the ones I feel sorry for, the ones who have to get to the bottom and then have to go to the top and start again!

Gazette: Danny Cowley

“I would say this on their behalf – because sometimes I think people think professional footballers only work two or three hours a day and earn a significant amount of money - the truth is, yes, sometimes you’re in work for a short period of the day but it is a 24/7 job.

"You do have to go home now and you have to make sure that you eat well, that you sleep well, that you do your conditioning and your regeneration work in the gym.

“It’s a great job and we’re all so lucky to be involved in football.”

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Colchester will check on the fitness of Harry Anderson, ahead of tonight’s game with Salford.

The on-loan Stevenage winger has missed the U’s last two games due to an abductor injury.

“We’re hopeful on Harry,” said Cowley, who confirmed that Jayden Fevrier will be fit for tonight’s game despite taking a knock at Sutton.

Gazette:

“We need Harry back – he’s such an important player for us.

“He has that durability and robustness – that why I signed Harry.

“He has those qualities and it’s so frustrating that he picked up that injury.

“When it’s a three-game week, we need all hands on deck.”