COLCHESTER United are about to embark on a busy run of fixtures – but you certainly won’t hear boss Danny Cowley moaning about his side having too many games.

The U’s trip to Walsall tomorrow is the first of five matches in 14 days for Cowley’s side, with a game at Port Vale following quickly next Tuesday night.

There has been plenty of talk over recent days about the volume of fixtures teams at the top level have to play, with a plethora of international, European and domestic games packed into a tight schedule.

READ MORE: Why Alex Woodyard is happy to be Colchester's unsung hero

Cowley acknowledges that the pressure and commitment is different for Premier League clubs and their players but the U’s head coach says the amount of football played is not something he would ever grumble about, at League Two level.

Cowley said: “I love football and you’re a long time retired.

“My career ended before I anticipated and I’ve missed it every day since, so there’s never too much football for me.

“I understand their position at the top level, with their international responsibilities as well.

“It can be pretty relentless for them but at our level, they have a break between the seasons and the expectation is to play three times a week and that as a consequence is what we prepare for, in terms of our recruitment and our planning, our squad and also the way we train them.

(Image: Richard Blaxall)

“So we’re ready for this and I don’t think anyone wants to hear me moaning about too many games.”

Colchester will be aiming to follow up their excellent 3-0 win over Tranmere Rovers with a first away victory of the season at high-flying Walsall tomorrow.

Competition for places has intensified within the U’s squad since the transfer window close and boss Cowley says everyone will need to play their part.

He said: “We go into a week now where we have two away games at the front part of the week and then Carlisle at home, next Saturday.

READ MORE: Battle for places intensifies ahead of U's hectic schedule

“It’s going to be a week that requires the whole of the squad, that’s for sure.

“That’s what we’ve built the squad for, because we know that a League Two season is a marathon where you play 46 league games and then lots of cup games, on top.

“Of course, that means sometimes you’re going to be going into a three-game week and sometimes, the games are going to be coming thick and fast.

“You need to have a really competitive squad and also a really agile squad, so that we can adapt to each opponent, because the nature of League Two changes from one week to the next.

“It can be so different; one week you can play MK Dons, the next week you can play Walsall and the challenges in the game are naturally very different.”