Dag & Red v Southend preview

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Abu Ogogo could return for Dagenham against Southend but is likely to face a late fitness test.

The defender has missed the last two games with a leg injury but was close to a comeback in the Daggers’ last outing, a 3-2 win at Tranmere.

Goalkeeper Mark Cousins will also be assessed and is still nursing a bad cut above his eye after colliding with a post in the 2-0 win over Hartlepool almost two weeks ago.

Zavon Hines is expected to be out for the season with his long-term knee injury.

Daniel Bentley is expected to return to contention for Southend.

The first-choice goalkeeper (groin) has been missing for the past three games due to an inability to comfortably kick the ball but he played 90 minutes in a behind-closed-doors friendly this week in the final stage of his recovery.

Bentley will hope to win back the starting spot between the sticks from England Under-19 international Ted Smith, who has kept two clean sheets in the three straight games he has started.

Midfielder Will Atkinson is a major doubt with the shoulder injury which forced him to miss last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Wycombe.

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Dag & Red v Southend preview

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Luke Norris is set to make his full Dagenham debut when Southend visit Victoria Road.

The striker joined on loan from Brentford last week and came off the bench to score the equaliser as his new side came from three goals down to earn a point against leaders Scunthorpe.

Billy Bingham (knee) and Jordan Seabright (ankle) returned from injury lay-offs as unused substitutes at the weekend and are expected to retain their places in the matchday squad.

Anthony Edgar is unavailable after he left the club on Monday, while Matt Saunders is still struggling with an ankle injury.

Lee Barnard could make his second debut for Southend when they take on Dagenham.

The 29-year-old striker, who enjoyed a two-year spell with the Shrimpers from 2008 to 2010, joined on loan from Southampton at the end of last week and is in line for his first appearance of the season.

Adam Thompson is set to continue at right-back with Luke O’Neill (thigh) and captain John White (shoulder) both struggling with injuries.

Seventh-placed Southend are unbeaten in their last six league games and could move into the automatic promotion places with victory over the Daggers.

Dag & Red v Southend preview

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Loan signings Cristian Montano and Mickey Spillane are set to make their débuts for Dagenham in their first-ever league meeting with their Essex rivals.

Striker Montano and defender Spillane arrived from West Ham and Brentford respectively on Thursday and go straight into manager John Still’s reckoning.

Both are welcome arrivals at Victoria Road, and Spillane will provide timely cover at the back with Scott Doe serving the second game of his two-match ban and captain Mark Arber set to undergo a double hernia operation on Monday.

Elsewhere, strikers Gavin Tomlin (groin) and Rob Edmans (broken leg and ankle) are looking at around two and three weeks respectively before they come back into contention, but Sam Williams (knee) will not play again this season.

Kevin Maher (ankle) is still looking at a couple more weeks on the sidelines while fellow midfielder Luke Howell (knee) remains missing until around February.

Forward Josh Scott made his welcome return from lengthy injury problems as a second-half substitute in last weekend’s 1-1 FA Cup draw at home to non-league Bath City.

Southend manager Paul Sturrock is battling against illness and injury ahead of the league leaders’ trip.

A flu bug has swept through the Shrimpers camp this week and a handful of unnamed players have been affected ahead of the encounter at Victoria Road.

Sturrock is also keeping his cards close to his chest regarding those members of his squad who are struggling with niggling injuries, stating only there are “two or three who are touch and go for Saturday”.

Midfielder Anthony Grant will definitely be missing as he serves the second game of a three-match ban picked up following his red card at Oxford.

It remains to be seen whether goalkeeper Glenn Morris has recovered from his thigh injury, with Daniel Bentley (back) fit again to provide back-up for Luke Daniels in last weekend’s goalless FA Cup tie at Preston.

Striker Blair Sturrock also missed the Deepdale encounter with an adductor strain and will be assessed ahead of the clash which pits high-flying Southend, who have won 11 of their unbeaten last 13, against a Dagenham side who have lost 11 of their previous 13, winning just once.

Dag & Red v Southend preview

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Sam Williams will miss Dagenham’s home clash.

The striker was forced off with what appeared to be a back injury minutes after pulling the Daggers level in Saturday’s morale-boosting 2-1 victory over Crewe.

Abu Ogogo missed out at the weekend due to illness but may come back into contention against a Shrimpers side who top the npower League Two table.

Summer signing Kevin Maher is set to make his long-awaited debut for the club against his former side, most likely from the bench, having finally overcome his broken metatarsal. Strikers Brian Woodall and Jake Reed will be hoping to feature in attack having played bit-part roles this term.

Of manager John Still’s injured players, Dominic Green (knee), Medy Elito (groin) and Rob Edmans (broken leg) have each resumed training but will need to build up their fitness and match practice being being considered for first-team action.

Josh Scott (knee) is around a week away from resuming full training but Luke Howell is out until the new year having recently undergone surgery to repair his ligament injury.

Paul Sturrock is likely to make a few changes to his Southend side.

Following a 4-0 win at Rotherham, Sturrock named the same starting line-up for Friday night’s meeting with Shrewsbury and watched as the Shrimpers blew away a second promotion rival in the space of seven days, triumphing 3-0 at Roots Hall to move to the top of npower League Two.

And the Scot is likely to rotate a couple of faces at Victoria Road, with the likes of Ryan Hall, Anthony Grant, Bilel Mohsni and Blair Sturrock coming into contention.

Midfielder Lee Sawyer (thigh) and long-term absentee Barry Corr (knee) are the only two currently ruled out by injury and, although the pair are both closing in on their respective returns, it is unlikely either would be risked.

Southend are bidding to reach the regional quarter-finals for the only the second time since back-to-back final appearances at the Millennium Stadium in 2004 and 2005.