In-form Colchester host relegation-threatened Crewe Alexandra in League One on Saturday.
Trio available for home side; options for visitors
In-form Colchester United host relegation-threatened Crewe Alexandra in League One on Saturday.
Colchester midfielders Mark Yeates, Lewis Gobern and Johnnie Jackson are all back in contention.
Yeates has missed the Us' last two matches after tweaking his calf and fellow winger Gobern has been struggling with a knock but both have returned to training.
Former Tottenham youngster Jackson also resumed training this week, but having been sidelined with a shoulder injury since the middle of January he will be short of match fitness.
Boss Paul Lambert may opt to name an unchanged side, however, following two straight wins.
Centre-half Paul Reid is the only definite absentee with a knee injury which has ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Crewe team news
Marlon Broomes, Steven Schumacher and Dennis Lawrence could come into Crewe's starting line-up at Colchester, but defender Chris McCready has been ruled out.
McCready suffered a groin strain in the 1-1 draw at Walsall, sealed courtesy of substitute Schumacher's last-gasp leveller, and is unavailable for the trip.
Defender Broomes agreed to return to Gresty Road on Friday, signing on loan from Blackpool for the remainder of the season after initially joining the Railwaymen in January. The 31-year-old was recalled by the Seasiders as injury cover last week.
Lawrence, who is on loan from Swansea, is set to bolster the defence, while James Bailey and Luke Murphy are also available after featuring in a reserve-team fixture on Wednesday.
Lawrence, the 6ft 7in Trinidad and Tobago international, suffered a fractured cheekbone at Yeovil last month but the swelling has reduced sufficiently for him to return in a mask, which he trained in on Thursday.
The Alex have claimed 16 points out of a possible 21 from their last seven games and could be further boosted next week by the return of top scorer Tom Pope.
The striker is optimistic of coming back from his ankle injury ahead of schedule in Tuesday's match with Bristol Rovers.
