STRIKING duo Marc-Antoine Fortune and Josh Parker will be spending the week training with Southend United in a bid to earn a contract.

The forwards both featured for Blues’ under 21s in their 4-0 defeat at Peterborough United yesterday.

And Blues boss Phil Brown will continue to take a look at them both in training.

“Marc and Josh will train with us for the rest of the week and then we’ll go from there,” said the 57-year-old Shrimpers chief.

“Marc started the game yesterday and looked OK.

“He’s obviously going to be a little bit ring rusty because he’s not really had much of a pre-season.

“But he’s going to be with us for the rest of the week and we’ll be seeing how he does in training during that time.”

Antoine-Fortune, 35, is currently without a club after leaving Coventry City at the end of last season and will be keen to earn himself a contract at Roots Hall.

Fortune - who cost Celtic £3.8million in 2009 - has also lined up for West Bromwich Albion, Doncaster and Wigan Athletic.

The Frenchman has netted 39 goals in 158 starts in British football and is currently training alongside fellow trialist Parker, who was a late addition to the Southend squad for yesterday’s clash with the Posh.

“We only got clearance for Josh to play about 15 minutes before the match was due to get underway,” said Brown.

“Because of that he obviously wasn’t able to start the game but he came on at half-time.

“He’s just left Red Star Belgrade, where he had been playing, so he’s without a contract at the moment and he can play as a striker or at right-back.

“He started off up front for us but then went back to help out some of the young lads who were wilting in the heat at the back.

“But he’s another one we will continue to take a look at.”

Parker started his career with Queens Park Rangers and also spent time with Northampton, Wycombe, Oldham, Dagenham and Oxford before joining Slovenian side Domžale.

From there he joined Serbian side Red Star Belgrade and also spent time on loan in Scotland with Aberdeen during the 2015/16 season.

The striker has also scored four goals in 22 international games for Antigua and Barbuda.