Colchester United vs Carlisle United. Sky Bet League Two.
JobServe Community StadiumAttendance3,626.
Thursday 21 February 2019 18:05, UK
Colchester will check on midfielder Tom Lapslie ahead of the Sky Bet League Two match against play-off rivals Carlisle.
Lapslie faces a late fitness test after he was forced off with a hamstring problem during the second half of last weekend's 1-1 draw at Macclesfield. Midfielder Brandon Comley is expected to be sidelined for another couple of weeks with a knee injury.
Harry Pell (hamstring) continues his own recovery from a hamstring problem picked up during the win over Cheltenham earlier in February.
Carlisle will be without midfielder Jamie Devitt for the second game of a three-match suspension. Devitt was shown a straight red card during the 2-1 defeat at Crewe on February 12 for kicking out at full-back Perry Ng.
Carlisle boss Steven Pressley expects to have captain Danny Grainger available after a dead leg, while centre-back Tom Parkes (groin) could also be in contention. Midfielder Jason Kennedy is closing in on a return after recovering from a pelvic operation, while winger Arthur Gnahoua (hamstring) and Macauley Gillesphey (knee) are long-term absentees.
Colchester have lost three of their last five league meetings with Carlisle (W1 D1), as many as their previous 13 such games combined.
Carlisle's 1-0 win away at Colchester last season was their first in nine league visits there (D4 L4); they have never won back-to-back away Football League games at Colchester.
Following their 3-0 win against Cheltenham in their last home league game, Colchester will be looking for back to back league wins at the Colchester Community Stadium for the first time since November 2018 (run of four).
Having won eight of their previous 10 league games, Carlisle have lost back to back matches - they last lost three consecutive League Two games in March 2017 (run of four).
Jamie Devitt has been directly involved in eight goals in his last 11 League Two appearances for Carlisle (4 goals, 4 assists).