Barnsley are staging their derby with Sheffield United tomorrow instead of today for financial reasons and are confident they have a deep enough squad to deal with two games in 48 hours.
Apart from the televised clash between MK Dons and Swindon Town, the derby is the only League One match tomorrow with most clubs opting to play today in order to to have more time before Easter Monday's matches. The Reds will travel to Essex for a 3pm kick-off on Monday having had less time to recover than hosts Colchester United, who visit Port Vale today.
Chief executive Ben Mansford said: "The Sheffield United match is our biggest payday of the year and we would have lost a large portion of that money to stewarding and policing costs had we moved it to the Bank Holiday Friday. We have one of the biggest squads in the league so we are more than capable of playing two games in three days."
Head coach Lee Johnson, who will take his side down south on Sunday, said: "It's not ideal that Colchester have got the extra day. But we've got a decent squad so we can make changes for Monday but keep the same quality in the team.
"We have got players on the bench who are just as good as those who have been starting. Kane Hemmings has been impressive in training and I'd like to see Dale Jennings up front."
While Barnsley will be looking to stay in the play-off hunt with three points on their first ever trip to the Colchester Community Stadium, the Us will be desperate for victory for different reasons.
They are second bottom, five points from safety and have conceded the most home goals in the league. Johnson said: "Colchester are a decent side. They are very young and exuberant. They are fighting for their lives and it's the last chance saloon for them."
Slovakian winger Milan Lalkovic will be available for selection on Monday after being suspended for three games following his red card at Leyton Orient. But loan striker Jabo Ibehre will not be able to play against his parent club, meaning Johnson will only have to leave out one of his other six loan players.
Johnson's first team will be the third Oakwell outfit to visit Colchester in nine days. The Reds' under 18s side drew 1-1 in Essex on Saturday, as Bailey Gooda got the goal, then the under 21s were beaten 2-0 on the first team pitch on Monday night.
