Southend boss Steve Tilson will be forced to alter his sides style of football due to the conditions ahead of tonight's clash at Colchester United.

The pitch at the Weston Homes Community Stadium is suffering following wet weather a snow this year.

Tilson watched the U's beat Carlisle United at home last Tuesday.

And it was the poor surface that made most of an impression.

"The pitch is shocking," Tilson told Blues Player last week.

"Colchester play the conditions there well to be fair to them and they get the ball forward early with a very direct style.

"It would be impossible to do much ball carrying on it and because of that I think we are going to have to alter our own style too."

Colchester are currently well placed in the play-offs following a good season so far.

That does not surprise Tilson though who also felt the U's would be challenging for the top six.

"Colchester have a big budget and have 30 professional players so I thought they would be up there," said Tilson.

"We played their reserves a few days ago and it was packed with professionals so it just goes to show how strong they are and that it's going to be a very difficult game for us."

Blues though have something of an injury and selection crisis with Tilson maybe having only 12 professionals available for tonight's match which is being screened live on Sky Sports.

"It is not ideal but we are again going to have to make changes," he said.

"Anthony Grant is out, along with Scott Vernon and Pat Baldwin, so we have to chop and change.

It means the team virtually picks itself but I thought when we played Colchester on Boxing Day we were right in the game.

"We could easily have taken something from it and hopefully this time we will."