Cousins returns to first-team action
Goalkeeper Mark Cousins will return between the sticks for Colchester's home clash against Oldham.
On-loan stopper John Sullivan has gone back to Charlton following his month-long stay, with his final appearance coming in the U's last game as they went down 5-1 at MK Dons two weeks ago.
Forward Gavin Massey was sent off in that encounter and so now starts a three-match ban. Teenage winger Drey Wright will take his place on the bench.
Striker Jabo Ibehre was ineligible to face his parent club at stadiummk but returns against the Latics and is set to go straight into manager Joe Dunne's starting XI.
Midfielder Kem Izzet has been thwarted by the weather in his efforts to make his comeback from a hip injury, having seen two Essex Senior Cup ties and one Under-21 game postponed. It remains to be seen whether he makes the bench.
Oldham defender Cliff Byrne is back in contention after returning from suspension.
Byrne accumulated five yellow cards to rule him out of last weekend's 3-1 FA Cup triumph over npower League One counterparts Doncaster.
The impressive nature of the Boundary Park triumph points towards Dickov naming an unchanged XI, meaning places among the substitutes for Byrne and Robbie Simpson - who has been laid low this week by illness.
If Byrne was to start it would probably mean on-loan Manchester City defender Reece Wabara reverting to his customary role of right-back and Connor Brown making way to accommodate the former Scunthorpe man at the heart of the defence.
Alex Cisak will continue in goal as Dean Bouzanis serves the second game of a three-match ban for his sending-off at Doncaster in the league 10 days ago.
On-loan Nottingham Forest forward Matt Derbyshire, who ended a nine-game goal drought with a brace last weekend, is set to start alongside Jose Baxter in attack.
Source: PA
