Colchester United manager John Ward believes his side must win the midfield battle if they are to gain a positive result at Tranmere Rovers this weekend.

The U’s boss has plenty of options to choose from in the centre of the park for tomorrow’s clash at Prenton Park.

Anthony Wordsworth and Andy Bond both performed impressively in Colchester’s 4-2 win over Notts County, last weekend.

And with the likes of skipper Kem Izzet, John-Joe O’Toole and Lloyd James also pushing for a recall, the U’s have plenty of strength in depth in that area.

Nevertheless, Ward is also wary of Tranmere’s midfield quality and has predicted it will be an important part of this weekend’s game.

Ward said: “It’ll be an interesting area of the game tomorrow.

“They have a very strong midfield and John Welsh is a very tough player.

“If we can overcome that middle of the pitch area, I’d like to think we can test their back four with the front players that we’ve got.

“We have a bit of pace and brightness and there’s also confidence, after getting four goals last week.”

For the full story and a Tranmere v U's preview, see Friday's Daily Gazette.