MATT Heath looked a sorry sight when he trooped off the pitch early in the second half at Preston, with blood pouring from a head wound

But warrior Heath, although he was unable to return to the Deepdale battlefield for Saturday’s goalless draw, has been patched up and is ready to return to Colchester United’s starting line-up, for this evening’s visit of Portsmouth.

“Matt (Heath) has had three or four stitches to the head, but it’s to the back of his head so I don’t think it’s going to stop him,” explained U’s manager John Ward.

“It’s not a cut on the eyebrow, or on the front (of the head), where he’s going to head the ball.

“That’s Matt Heath for you. He got stitched up and celebrated with the boys with a point after the game.

“We put him in on Saturday because we knew we had to win some headers, Matt’s got that experience just over Tom Eastman. He did very well for me,” added Ward.

Ward could well name an unchanged side for tonight’s first home game of the season.