Chesterfield vs Colchester United preview - Chesterfield boss Dean Saunders monitoring several for Colchester clash

Chesterfield boss Dean Saunders will check on a handful of players before finalising his plans for the visit of Colchester.

Sam Hird (ribs), Liam O'Neil (knee) and Lee Novak (head) were all injured during the home defeat to Wigan last weekend. Drew Talbot (ankle) and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (hamstring) missed that game through injury.

Despite the initial prognosis for O'Neil being a month-long absence, all five players were rated as 50/50 chances for Saturday by Saunders at his press conference on Thursday.

Winger Gboly Ariyibi is back from international duty with the USA Under-21 squad and he is likely to start against the Us.

Colchester were not in action over the international break as their scheduled league match with Sheffield United was postponed.

Striker Marvin Sordell, signed following his release by Burnley, could go straight into the side. Captain Chris Porter (ankle) and Darren Ambrose (foot) both missed out in the previous match at Scunthorpe, so will continue to be assessed.

Tony Humes' has seen his position under the spotlight after failing to register a win this season, but United chairman Robbie Cowling says he is not about to take drastic action.

Humes' squad have used the extra time at Florence Park to regroup. He said: "There are basics that the players need to do better, but they are professionals and know that we need to react better to certain things within the game. It is just little bits and pieces, and we are not a million miles away."