John McGreal has downplayed talk of Colchester United being underdogs when they head to play high-flying Doncaster Rovers tomorrow.

And the U’s boss insists the two teams will head into the League Two clash at the Keepmoat Stadium on an even keel.

Colchester are without a win in their last five league matches and face a Doncaster side who lie second in the table and without a home league defeat all season.

The U’s have not won at Doncaster since their 1997-1998 promotion-winning season and have not found the net in more than seven hours of football there.

But only seven points separates the two sides in the table and McGreal said: “I think we’re on a level footing.

“As I get more experienced, I’ll probably be telling people that we are underdogs every week but I’m not that way inclined.

“I don’t see (being underdogs) as an asset - you look at us last year as two League One clubs.

“It’s just that they have prolonged the run they have had of winning games while we haven’t and have drawn games.

“We’ve not won in the last five, while they have won three but I see us as equals.

“It’s our first time in League Two for a long time and we want to get out of the division so we go into the game on Saturday looking to win it.

“We are a good strong group and we’re a club who haven’t been at this level for a number of years so we have to take that and move forward.

“We want to be up the top like Doncaster are but the last five games we have drawn three of them.

“We should be winning and we’ve had opportunities to win them so hopefully Saturday’s game can give us a bit of a springboard to move forward from.

“A lot of teams are looking at us and giving us a lot of respect.

“Look at Newport last week, they put eight men behind the ball.

“They try to counteract what we do and that’s what I’ve seen over the 12 games we’ve had.

“They have given us respect and it’s up to us to try to take things forward.”

McGreal admits he has some difficult decisions to make this weekend, with skipper Luke Prosser back from a one-match suspension.

Alex Wynter impressed on his first league start of the season as Prosser’s replacement last weekend, helping the U’s keep a clean sheet against Newport County.

McGreal added: “Alex came in and did a great job and it just shows that when the opportunity arises, you have to take it.

“I’ve got one or two tough decisions to make, especially in the back line.”