Exeter boss Paul Tisdale has doubts over defenders Matt Taylor and Richard Duffy, who are both battling to be fit.Tisdale does have attacking options with Jamie Cureton and Daniel Nardiello amongst those hoping to start.

Colchester will start with Mark Cousins in goal and non-contract signing Carl Pentney on the bench with first-choice Ben Williams out with an ankle injury.

Marc Tierney (calf) faces a late fitness test whilst John-Joe O'Toole and Morten Knudsen (both knee) are out.

Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale told BBC Spotlight:

"I think it would have been desperately unfair if we'd gone down last year.

Tisdale hoping to stretch City's potential

"This year we're hoping to start with similar principles and a similar set-up which will enable us to be hard to beat.

"If there's been any changes, it's been a slight change in personnel with goalscoring in mind.

"We're hoping that we stretch our potential and we're hoping that others possibly don't, and actually struggle with theirs.

"We're doing as well as we can do, and that has to be the target for any club."

Colchester United boss John Ward told BBC Essex:

"There was a lot of talk in the summer that he (Exeter boss Paul Tisdale) may move higher up into the Championship and it would have been well deserved.

"Paul Tisdale's an ex-player of mine, although I'll probably be saying that most weeks, and his assistant Andy Tilson was at Bristol Rovers with me so I know the guys really well.

"They're good, very lively young people who are very bright with their football."

Source: BBC Sport