Town open their first-team pre-season friendly programme with a game against League of Ireland Premier Division side Drogheda United on Saturday afternoon having spent the week training at the Carton House Hotel in Co Kildare (KO 2pm).
It’s the first time the Blues have faced Drogs in their now traditional Ireland-based summer friendly, Dublin side Shelbourne having been the opposition for the last four years.
Drogheda, who are currently second bottom of their division without a win in 10, are also in action tonight in a League of Ireland fixture at home to Finn Harps so it will be far from a first-team line-up which faces the Blues.
Drogs boss Pete Mahon, whose assistant is former Colchester midfielder Mark Kinsella, has said four or five trialists will be involved against Town, while a number of U19s players are likely to be involved as has been the case with the Shels matches.
The senior Drogheda squad includes two players familiar to Mick McCarthy, Sean Thornton and Stephen Elliott both played for him at Sunderland, while Elliott, who is currently sidelined with an injury, was subsequently also a member of his squad at Wolves.
Ben Morris and Conor McKendry having joined up with the Town squad ahead of the game with fellow youngsters Flynn Downes, George Fowler, Tristan Nydam and Pat Webber already with the party in Ireland.
As is usual in the early games in pre-season, the Blues are likely to play a different XI in each half at United Park.