JOHN McGreal insists Colchester United's hectic forthcoming schedule will not influence his thinking when he picks his starting line-up today.

This afternoon's home clash with bottom club Morecambe begins a busy run of games for the U's, who face a run of five games in 14 days.

Colchester travel to play League Two leaders Crewe Alexandra next Tuesday night, before hosting Newport County next Saturday.

But boss McGreal has stressed he is looking no further than their clash with the Shrimps, as they bid to move into the play-off places.

McGreal said: “The number of games we have coming up is not going to influence who plays against Morecambe – not at all.

“It’s one game at a time and our most important game at this moment in time is Morecambe.

“Once we get through Morecambe, it’ll be the next and then the next and then the next."

Despite putting all of his focus on Morecambe, boss McGreal acknowledges that the U's are entering an important period, with vital league games coming thick and fast.

“It’s a big week of games coming up," said McGreal.

“We have three games in a week and we’ve had a good week of training on the grass, which has been excellent.

“We’ve had a full week and we’ve been trying to reinforce our way of playing.

“When you do get that week on the pitch you try and make the most of it and try and get the injured players back.

“People haven’t been able to train this week but others have been able to come back and get some training time."

Colchester will be hoping to maintain their impressive home form today.

The U's have lost only one of their nine league and cup games at the JobServe Community Stadium so far, this season.

McGreal said: “Every team tries to make their home ground a bit of a fortress and we’re no different to that.

“We’ve got a little run going and we want to continue that."

Morecambe travel to Colchester on the back of a wretched run of form which has seen them fail to win any of their last 12 games, in all competitions.

However, boss McGreal insists the U's will certainly not be taking their opponents lightly.

He added: “Top can beat bottom quite easily.

“That hasn’t changed in three and a half years and the opinion won’t change on that at all.

“It’s key moments in games that change them.

“You can’t take any clubs lightly because you’ll get a kick on the backside for it.

“We’re not that way inclined and we show every team that we play the respect they deserve.

“You don’t want to show anyone disrespect, because that’s when you fall down.

“Looking at the games there, they’ve been unlucky.

“I keep saying that it’s fine margins and it’s key moments in games that have been going against them, of late.

“We need to be on our guard because we know that it’s going to be a tough game."

Noah Chilvers has joined Bath City on a month's loan.

The 18-year-old midfielder, who has made first-team appearances for the U's, joins his club-mate Ollie Kensdale on loan at the National League South side.

U's director of football Tony Humes told the club's website: "Noah has all the potential to have a very good career in football and we are going to do everything we can to maximise that potential.

"He has already been in and around the first team squad but we feel that regular competitive men's football will benefit him the most in the next month."