Manager previews Saturday's trip to Woking
Team News
Further to Monday's virus scare, when eight players saw the doctor because of gastroenteritis, Gavin Hoyte reported for training on Thursday feeling under the weather and Jimmy Quinn is mindful that he cannot push the players too hard.
"This damp weather is the ideal environment for germs and bugs to spread through the place and one or two lads are not 100%," he confirmed. "Gavin is feeling a bit sick today but it was a great effort to win the game on Tuesday night.
"They were very drained after the game and we can't work them too hard when they're not feeling 100%. It's a worry that Gavin is feeling ill only two days before the game because when you have a virus it can affect your health if you try doing too much; you can have heart problems and everything if you push yourself when your immune system is low, so we'll have to monitor him and see how he is and hope that nobody else catches it.
"One or two of them have missed some training, which affects their fitness levels. Danny Brown has missed probably three weeks' training over the last 7-8 weeks which is a big loss, so he will obviously have to try to regain his fitness in training and with the games that we're playing. But I just want it all cleared up so we can continue to give ourselves the best possible chance to do well."
Quinn is currently exploring the options for bringing one or two new players into the squad given the injuries to Dan Chillingworth (ankle) and Mark Convery (hamstring) and the enforced retirement of Adam Davies, but he declared himself delighted so far with his small squad.
"I did a lot of work in the summer getting some players in and we've been very lucky getting some of the quality in that we have got. They are players that have been there, done it, perform consistently, and a lot of hard work has gone in by myself and Alan (Lewer) as well.
"We know the teams we're up against and I've said to the players that - without shouting about promotion and putting too much pressure on ourselves - I'll personally be disappointed if we don't do well this year. We've got some good characters in there and I tell them every time that if they go out there and show a lot of commitment and effort, win or lose, people will stick with them.
"We didn't have that last year for different reasons, but I want them to come in and work hard, enjoy their football and stick together. There's a good spirit there at the moment but the telling time will be when we lose a game and how we bounce back from that. That will tell me how good we are as a team. We know we'll lose games here and there but hopefully that won't happen for a long while."
Transfers
On the transfer front he revealed, "We've got one or two targets that we've earmarked but with the deadline coming up next Friday it's difficult for clubs to let players go so early in the season, and that's the problem we're up against.
"There are also five or six players we're looking at with a view to loans, so we're looking at all options. I want to bring players in who are going to make a difference and are going to push for a place in the side, and when you're doing well I think that's the time to try to improve the squad, but whether or not there are players available out there who I think will improve the squad, we'll have to see."
The Opposition
Looking ahead to the match on Saturday against Woking, who are unbeaten so far this season under new boss Frank Gray, Quinn called for his players to keep their first clean sheet of the season.
"We've made a good start but that's all it is. We can't win every game in the league but it's a fantastic start and the players are confident," he confirmed.
"We've got a couple of tough games coming up this weekend, starting with Woking. When you're top of the league you're always there to be knocked off and they will see that as a challenge, so we have to go into the game mentally tough and prepared for that, but also have one eye on the progress we have made and the way we've been winning games.
"Woking have some quality players, who on their day can change the game. We've had them watched three times and we have a lot of information about them, and we have to try to nullify their threats and then take the game to them.
"Keeping a clean sheet is important too," Quinn added. "We haven't done that yet; we've conceded three goals and a couple of the goals we could have defended a bit better, so we'll keep working on those principles that if you keep a clean sheet in this league you're always going to get chances.
"We will score goals but we need to concentrate on working a little bit harder to keeping the ball out of the back of the net because that will give us the chance to win games."
The Odds
United are 7/5 to win the game with AbbeyBet, while Woking are priced at 6/4 to win and the draw is 12/5. If you fancy Leo Fortune-West to continue Tuesday's goal streak you can back him at 13/2 to score the first goal while Lee Boylan is 6/1 to open the scoring.
All these odds and many more at the club betting site at AbbeyBet.
More Information
Read the news from the Woking camp and details about their squad and season to date in Chris Vessey's "The Other Side" preview, you can find ticket details and directions here, and if you fancy a bet on our match or any other event this weekend we have all the odds at AbbeyBet, where your betting makes money for the U's.
If you can't be at the match, listen to every kick of the game courtesy of Radio Cambridgeshire and see the live stats from our game and goal flashes from around the country via the our fantastic MatchLive Console on U's World.
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