John McGreal has urged his Colchester United players to move on quickly from their FA Cup disappointment.

The U’s travel to play Essex rivals Southend United in their final Checkatrade Trophy game tonight, looking to bounce back from their humiliating 1-0 defeat at the hands of non-league Oxford City last weekend.

McGreal, who has been nominated for the League Two manager of the month award for October, is looking for a reaction from his squad at Roots Hall in the Group B game, which Colchester need to win in order to progress to the knockout stages of the competition.

McGreal said: “It was really, really disappointing (in the FA Cup) but this football club has to move on.

“That kind of defeat can be damaging confidence-wise, if you let it.

“It hasn’t worked but there's no use dwelling on it - we have to move on because the games come thick and fast.

“We’ve been going particularly well in the league of late and we haven’t been able to carry that form on in the FA Cup but now we have to draw a line under it.

“We’ve got another cup competition on Tuesday and we’ll get our players ready for that and then another tough game (at Barnet) in the league on Saturday.”

McGreal is set to make changes to his starting line-up for tonight’s game at Southend, with the likes of Tom Lapslie, Craig Slater and Lewis Kinsella among those pushing for starts.

Colchester will check on the fitness of Kane Vincent-Young and Sammie Szmodics, who were close to featuring against Oxford City after spending time on the sidelines with hamstring and ankle injuries respectively.

Vincent-Young has not played for the U’s since their 2-1 win at Newport County three weeks ago, while forward Szmodics has been out since being carried off in his side’s 2-2 draw at Grimsby Town, on September 26.

McGreal added: “It’s one of those where they’ve had injuries – Kane has been injured for four or five weeks and Sammie two or three weeks, so we have to be careful with them.

“But they’ll hopefully be in and around it if not for Southend, then next week.”

Loanee Nicke Kabamba is available again for Colchester tonight after his parent club Portsmouth refused permission for the striker to play in the FA Cup as they did not want him cup-tied.

McGreal has been shortlisted for the League Two Manager of the Month award, along with Port Vale's Neil Aspin, Mark Cooper of Forest Green Rovers and Luton Town manager Nathan Jones.

Colchester collected ten points from five games last month, leaving the U's boss in line for his second monthly award after he won the accolade last December.