SOUTHEND United skipper John White is keen to heap more misery on Scunthorpe at Roots Hall tonight.

The reliable right-back was in the Colchester United side that won at Carlisle on the final day of last season to ensure Scunthorpe were relegated from League One.

And White is now keen to get another over on the Iron as the Shrimpers look to get back on track after suffering three successive defeats.

“We need to win the game but it doesn’t really matter who we’re up against or what’s happened before,” said White, 27.

“Up until the Morecambe game we had been playing well and deserved something from both the Chesterfield and Wycombe matches.

“But against Morecambe too many of us had a down day and when that happens you’re going to lose.”

The disappointing 3-1 defeat saw Blues slip down to 11th in the League Two defeats.

However, White does not feel Southend are now under added pressure to see off Scunthorpe.

“It’s just another game to us,” said White.

“It’s the next one in line and I don’t think there’s more pressure or importance on the match because of the last few games.

“We just want to get out there to put right what’s gone wrong in those matches.”

White is again expected to line-up at right-back but Blues are heading in to the game with a shortage of defenders, according to boss Phil Brown.

“We have one or two niggles and one or two players haven’t trained this week,” said Brown.

“Their names won’t be mentioned but we’re struggling to get four defenders out there at this stage.

“Hopefully there might be one or two coming back to give me a headache but at things stand at the moment it’s any four from four.”

But, despite those injury problems, Brown will not be making too many alterations to his starting line-up.

“I won’t be making wholesale changes,” confirmed Brown.

“We’ve analysed the players and their fitness levels and there are signs of fatigue in one or two of them.

“I know Brian Laws well and he will be putting a team out to make sure they take something from the game and we’re going to have to be able to combat that.”

With that in mind, Brown knows his must get the team selection right.

And he is mulling over whether or not to stick with Michael Timlin in the centre of the park as the midfielder continues his come-back from the broken leg he suffered last February.

“Tims needs games and there’s nothing better than first team football where he’s concerned,” said Brown.

“Against Morecambe he made one or two rash decisions he’s not used to making, purely because he’s been out for so long.

“If we’re going to get the best from him then we have to give him games.

“But the battle for central midfield is probably the strongest in the team and I do have plenty of options in there.”