Competition for places at Colchester United is as fierce as it has been in years.

And while it is tough for him to leave established players on the bench, U’s boss Tony Humes must also be relishing the numerous options he currently has available to him.

It’s so refreshing that the U’s boss is currently presiding over an in-form squad where he has alternatives in all positions.

Ask any U’s fan at the start of the season if they’d have expected to see Darren Ambrose, Chris Porter, Alex Gilbey and George Elokobi warming the substitutes bench at any one time and they probably would have laughed in your face.

But it is testament to the depth of talent now at the club that that is the case, with the likes of Drey Wright and Tom Lapslie currently not even making the first-team squad.

It is something of an understatement to say that the recent addition of Callum Harriott, Owen Garvan, Marvin Sordell and Jamie Jones has played its part in boosting Humes’ options.

And their presence has, in turn, influenced the form of the players around them, many of whom are currently performing at the top of their game at present.

Just like he had for the Swindon Town game last weekend, Humes has some big calls to make tomorrow night.

He has spoken openly about the different proposition Bradford City will offer and Phil Parkinson’s team will pose a more physical threat to the U’s than any of their most recent opponents.

The temptation might be to bring the likes of Elokobi and Porter into the team, in a bid to counter-act the robust Bantams.

But on the flip side, Colchester are in great form and winning games - why change things unless you have to?

Bradford should be wary of a potent U’s who are one of the form teams in the division and have not lost at the Weston Homes Community Stadium for more than six months.

After all, the U’s winning form is proving to be the perfect medicine for Humes’ selection headache.

For a full preview of the U's game against Bradford, including interviews with Tony Humes and Tosin Olufemi, see Tuesday's Daily Gazette.