A NUMBER of Colchester United players are set to find out today if they are to be offered a new contract or not.

Steven Gillespie, Matt Heath, David Perkins, Mark Cousins, Lee Beevers, Simon Hackney, Medy Elito, Sam Corcoran and Carl Pentney are all out-of-contract in the summer.

“I’ve got letters on my desk that will be passed on to players,” said Ward. “It’s not everybody that is out-of-contract that I’m speaking to, it’s just four or five at the moment.

“Some players have requested that they’d like to know what I’m thinking for next season and in some of those cases I’m responding to that. The way they react to it is their responsibility.”

Yesterday keeper Pentney and midfielder Corcoran were loaned out to Chelmsford (end of season) and Lowestoft (one month) respectively, while Elito (Cheltenham) and Hackney (Oxford United) are also out on loan.

Club-record signing Gillespie has started scoring goals but is yet to prove his fitness, while Beevers has been in and out of the side during the second half of the season following a long-term injury.

Perkins has been a key player this season but has dropped out the side in recent weeks, Cousins has done superbly in goal when called upon for long spells this season, while Heath has produced his best form in a Colchester shirt this campaign.

– Who do you think should get new deals? E-mail: sport@eadt.co.uk or comment below.