SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown hopes to have a trio of key players back for tomorrow’s clash with Northampton Town.

Nile Ranger will definitely be available against the Cobblers while John White and Anthony Wordsworth are also pushing to return.

And Brown hopes the three players will be able to end the Shrimpers’ eight match winless streak.

“We should have some key players coming back and hopefully that can make a difference,” said Brown.

“Nile is available after missing the midweek match due to his 7pm curfew and we have Anthony Wordsworth and John White who should be back too from their injuries.

“Our results have been frustrating but our last two games have been away at two of the top teams in the league and we should have taken something from both of them.

“I’ve watched the games back and I’ve studied the statistics so I know we’re not far away and hopefully we’ll get the win against Northampton now.”

Blues’ run of poor results have seen them slip down to 19th in the League One standings.

Northampton sit two places higher in 17th but have recorded back to back wins following the appointment of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink as manager.

And Brown is expecting a tough test against the Cobblers.

“Jimmy Floyd has won two from two and has breathed fresh belief into Northampton,” said Brown.

“That’s what we’re up against and it will be a tough game.

“Jimmy is doing something right and we know what he’s all about.

“He likes his teams to work hard but he likes to have a bit of quality too.”

Hasselbaink replaced former Blues defender Justin Edinburgh in charge of the Cobblers.

But the ex-Chelsea striker is now working closely with another former Shrimpers full-back, Dean Austin, who is assistant manager at Northampton.

“Dean’s a feisty character and he likes his team to get stuck in so it’s going to be a proper game of football this weekend,” said Brown.

“There’s not much in it and it will come down to who puts their best foot forward.”

Brown also confirmed that defender Rob Kiernan was now back training pain free after a knee injury but added centre-back Michael Turner was still a week away from returning from a hamstring problem.