Abbey Stadium - Kick Off 3pm
Cambridge United welcome Hartlepool United to the Abbey Stadium this Saturday (K.O. 3:00pm) for their Sky Bet League Two clash, looking to build on the valuable point earnt last time out against Luton Town.
The U’s take on the north-east club aiming to begin a similar unbeaten run to the one seen at the end of 2015 and push on towards the play-off places in the coming weeks.
Cameron Gayle who has not featured since pulling a hamstring against Mansfield on December 19, will return to parent club Oxford United on Sunday and will not be involved. Greg Taylor is ruled out for the season but all other players in the squad are fit and ready for selection.
The visitors will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing result at Accrington Stanley on Tuesday night after losing 3-1 and hoping to replicate the performance that resulted in a victory against Wycombe Wanderers four days earlier.
Pools have recruited young winger Nathan Thomas from Mansfield Town and Ellis Harrison from Bristol Rovers in recent weeks and will be looking for both to make an impact this weekend. Also with the likes of Nicky Featherstone and Jake Gray in their armory they have the nous and creativity to threaten on Saturday.
Both sides shared the spoils at Victoria Park earlier in the season as the game finished 0-0.
Manager Shaun Derry is wary of a Hartlepool backlash this weekend and said: “It wasn't the result Hartlepool were looking for on Tuesday night but I am sure they will want a response.
“Ronnie Moore will be hurting and disappointed about the result albeit against an impressive Accrington Stanley side.
“They will know they have to perform better than they did on Tuesday and that may cause us an even bigger problem than we would have already faced. We are going to be up against an animal that is hurting, we have to be right and we have to make sure we fight fire with fire to a certain degree and have confidence in the way we play.
“However, we have to concentrate on us and what we can do to affect the game.”
Tickets for the game are still available online at cufcdirect.com, in-store or over the phone by calling 01223 566 500.