Colchester United travel to automatic promotion hopefulls Derby County tonight in the Coca Cola Championship. The U’s will play in front of the SkySports cameras for the second time this season. Earlier the U’s beat Ipswich Town 1-0 at Layer Road and have also lost 2-1 away to Coventry City while appearing on TV.
Derby midfielder Stephen Pearson has been ruled out of the game with severe bruising around his foot and ankle.
Centre-back Dean Leacock has a broken hand and Richard Jackson (knee) and Paul Boertien (calf) are out, but Giles Barnes should start the match.
The youngster on loan from Arsenal has sealed a summer move to Serie A in Italy and will want to impress in the next 12 games.
Colchester could name an unchanged side as they have no new injury or suspension worries to play Derby.
Striker Marino Keith remains the U’s only injury absentee with a long-term Achilles problem.
The U’s haven’t scored as freely as they would like recently with only one goal in their last three games, Cureton scored a hatrick against Derby at Layer Road at the start of the season. That result set the U’s off on an unbeaten home run, hopefully a win today will get the U’s back on track for the PlayOffs.
TOP SCORER
RAMS: Steve Howard 13
U’s: Chris Iwelumo 15
LAST SIX GAMES
RAMS: WWWDLL
U’s: WDWLLD
LEAGUE POSITION
RAMS: 3rd
U’s: 10th
LAST TIME OUT
Colchester United 4-3 Derby County
Derby County 1-1 Colchester
Colchester United V Coventry City
Saturday 10th March 2007
Kick Off 3pm
Layer Road
Tickets: 0871 226 2161