Chelsea game is 'good challenge' for Colchester: Liam Bailey

Jay Mingi and Nico Lawrence play their first games since recovering from hamstring and shoulder injuries respectively, while the likes of Will Greenidge, Owura Edwards, Bradley Ihionvien and Al-Amin Kazeem also feature in the starting line-up.

U's under-21 boss Liam Bailey believes the Premier League Cup game at Kingsmeadow Stadium will be a really big occasion for the club's youngsters.

Colchester's youngsters are unlikely to progress any further in the competition but the game represents a chance for them to show off their skills, against one of the leading under-21 teams in the country.

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Bailey told Col U TV: "It's another good game for the lads' development.

"It looks like we're not going to get out of the group but to go and play Chelsea is going to be a really good experience for the boys and they get to match themselves up against some of the best players in the country.

"Looking forward to that challenge ahead for the lads.

"We'll have a game plan ready and we'll be looking for the boys to implement that but also for them to go and test themselves against some of the best players in the country and international players, it's going to be a really big occasion for the lads."

Colchester are currently embracing a new era, following the arrival of the Cowley brothers as the club's new first-team management duo earlier this month.

"It's clear that they're really competitive guys and they want to win," added Bailey.

"The development-winning balance is slightly a tough one, at times.

"We've got a lot of boys out on loan and a lot of boys in the first team who are eligible to play in the 21s.

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"We've got to strike that balance about what's best for the individual but we want to be a competitive group and I think when we've got our best players and the boys back from loan and some of the boys back from the first team, we've shown that we can be a competitive group.

"We've got some good football players at this club, ready to break into Danny and Nicky's plans.

"There's been some great minutes from the boys going from the under-21s to the first team so that's a big, big plus and it's about how can we get the next batch of players ready for Danny and Nicky, whenever they're required or whether that's pre-season or next year - we've got to get the boys ready for the new management team."