Colchester v Oldham preview
Colchester will begin their seventh straight season in League One with a home game against Oldham as the U’s seek to improve on last term’s 16th-placed finish.
Joe Dunne’s side got off to a fast start 12 months ago when claiming back-to-back wins against Gillingham and Port Vale and also closed with a couple of victories versus Brentford and Walsall.
Dunne has since brought in Sean Clohessy and Ben Gordon from north of the border, with that pair arriving from Kilmarnock and Ross County respectively, while highly-rated West Ham youngster John Moncur joins on loan until January.
Dagenham’s Chris Lewington, Dan Holman from Braintree and Crewe’s Dominic Smith are other new recruits, while veteran defender Magnus Okuonghae has been named skipper and Clohessy vice-captain, but Tosin Olufemi will be out of action for months after rupturing his Achilles tendon.
Oldham will have a much-changed starting XI to open up the new campaign, and they will also be without their captain.
Adam Lockwood, who was appointed skipper for the new season following Korey Smith’s exit, has a foot problem and is set for an extended spell on the sidelines.
Jonathan Grounds, James Wesolowski and Smith, three of Latics’ key performers last season, have all sought pastures new with Lee Johnson bringing in eight new faces, including former Colchester captain Brian Wilson.
Striker Rhys Turner suffered a grade-two hip flexor injury over the summer and has been undergoing extra work with the medical department.