Southend manager Steve Tilson said the pitch was in a "shocking" condition ahead of the League One encounter.
U's boss Aidy Boothroyd told BBC Essex: "It's fabulous if you want to grow cabbages and potatoes, it's not particularly good for football."
He added: "The groundsmen are working really hard on it and they're trying to do the best.
"But with the weather that we've had and the lack of the adequate drainage for this sort of weather, we're trying to make the best of what we've got."
Tilson revealed the state of the surface have an impact on how his Southend team approach the game.
"Its shocking, there's no two-ways about it," he said. "We're going to have to adjust our game to the conditions.
"They play the conditions really well because they get the ball forward early."
There is full match commentary of Colchester v Southend on BBC Essex 103.5 FM and 95.3 FM on Monday, 8, February, from 7pm.
Source: BBC Sport
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