Colchester United vs Cheltenham Town. Sky Bet League Two.
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Friday 5 January 2018 12:07, UK
Colchester could hand debuts to Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe and Ryan Gondoh for their Sky Bet League Two clash against Cheltenham on Saturday.
The duo arrived from non-league side Maldon & Tiptree on an 18-month contract earlier this week. The U's have also been boosted by the impending return of captain Luke Prosser who played 45 minutes in a friendly match on Thursday. Prosser has been sidelined for a year with a knee injury.
Midfielder Courtney Senior and winger Brennan Dickenson are also working their way back from respective knee problems.
Cheltenham manager Gary Johnson could also hand a debut to new signings Manny Onariase and Sanmi Odelusi. Defender Onariase, who had a loan spell with the Robins from Brentford last season, has rejoined on a temporary basis from current club Rotherham, while forward Odelusi signed a deal until the end of the campaign, having spent the first half of this term at Colchester before being released.
Cheltenham will however be without teenage forward Freddie Hinds after he returned to parent club Bristol City following the completion of his loan deal, while defenders Alex Davey and Daniel O'Shaughnessy and striker Dan Holman have also departed Whaddon Road.
Defenders Jordan Cranston (hamstring) and Jordon Forster (Achilles) and forward Jaanai Gordon (knee) remain long-term absentees.
Colchester have never lost at home to Cheltenham in four previous meetings in the Football League and League Cup, winning the last three (D1).
The Robins ran out 3-1 winners in the reverse fixture in September; they have never won back-to-back Football League games against the U's.
Colchester have drawn their last two games in League Two by a 0-0 score line; they have never had three successive goalless draws in the Football League.
Cheltenham have found the net in 10 consecutive away games in all competitions (W3 D3 L4); they have only gone longer without drawing a blank on their travels once before as a Football League side, a 12-game run in all competitions during the 2011/12 season when they reached the League Two play-offs.
Defender Tom Eastman has scored in two of his three appearances against Cheltenham (two goals), scoring more against The Robins than any other side in the Football League.
