Speedy Siriki will be a key player

Correct score Posh to win: 1-0: 7/1

2-0: 17/2

2-1: 15/2

3-0: 16/1

3-1: 14/1

3-2: 28/1

4-0: 33/1

4-1: 33/1

4-2: 50/1

Draw: 0-0: 11/1 1-1: 11/2 Southend to win 1-0: 11/1

2-0: 22/1

2-1: 12/1

3-0: 50/1

3-1: 33/1

3-2: 40/1

4-0: 150/1

4-1: 80/1

4-2:100/1

2-2: 12/1 3-3: 50/1

First goalscorer: 7/2 Toney (Posh), 4/1 Godden (Posh), Tomlin (Posh), Cox (Southend), 9/2 Maddison (Posh), 6/1 Cooper (Posh), Dembele (Posh), Stevens (Posh), Kelman (Southend), 7/1 Bunn (Southend), Kightly (Southend), McLaughlin (Southend), 10/1 Mantom (Southend), 12/1 Ward (Posh), Reed (Posh), Cooke (Posh), Dempsey (Posh), 16/1 Lafferty (Posh), Naismith (Posh), Woodyard (Posh), 20/1 White (Posh).

Flying winger Siriki Dembele could be a key man in the final eight Posh games of the season, according to first-team manager Darren Ferguson.

Dembele has missed the last seven Posh matches after picking up an ankle ligament injury during the defeat at home to Plymouth on February 2.

He had been enjoying a decent start to his first season at League One level following a summer move from Grimsby, scoring seven goals.

“I rate Siriki,” Ferguson said. “He is quick, but he’s also very skilful and he can score goals.

“He can play in a couple of positions and it was a blow to lose him when we did, but he’s made good progress and he should be involved on Saturday.

“I know training is completely different to playing matches, but he’s looked sharp and I’m confident he will have a big part to play in the last eight games.

“I will make changes again for the Southend game and, without wishing to give anything away, I might have to sacrifice what I want to do long-term for some shortterm gain.”

That suggests Posh might revert to one striker with Lee Tomlin,MarcusMaddisonand Joe Ward tasked with providing the bullets for either Matt Godden or Ivan Toney.

Posh are facing a team in even worse form than themselves, but Ferguson remains wary of a Southend side he described as ‘strange’.

“They are a strange team,” Ferguson added. “They seem capable of winning 4-0 or losing 4-0, although they’ve struggled more often than not lately.

“I’m surprised to see them so low in the table, but to be fair to Chris Powell he’s suffered because of a lot of injuries. They’ve had a lot of young players in the side and that can make things difficult.

“There are no easy games at this stage of the season, particularly this season as everyone seems to have something to play for.

“The last time I saw Southend play they came from 3-0 down to draw with Portsmouth so they have spirit as well as quality.”

Centre-back Ryan Tafazolli is expected to return to the Posh squad after missing last week’s defeat by Coventry because of illness.

Play-off rivals Coventry host Oxford on Saturday while Doncaster visit League One leaders Luton and Blackpool are at Bradford City.

Coventry’s final four away matches are very hard. They have yet to visit Barnsley, Sunderland, Portsmouth and Doncaster. The game at Doncaster is the final match of the season. Posh lost this fixture last season to an early Jason Demetriou penalty in what was Southend manager Chris Powell’s first away game in charge.

Posh have a decent record against Southend at London Road though, winning 14 and losing eight of 25 matches. Posh haven’t won any of the last four meetings though. Their last success was gained through a Phill Chapple header five minutes from time in a 1999 Division Three fixture.

Posh fielded a young side that day which included a first-team debut for right back Grant ‘Sugar’ Haley.

Posh: Tyler, Haley, Drury, Chapple, Edwards, Davies, Etherington, Shields, Castle, Green, Forinton. Subs used: French, Clarke.

Posh won the first meeting between the sides, 4-1 in Division Three in 1961. Terry Bly, George Hudson, Keith Ripley and Roy Senior scored the goals. Southend have suffered one of the worst injury crises in the club’s history, according to those in the know. There have been a couple of constants though, most notably experienced striker Simon Cox who has carried the Shrimpers’ attack with 14 League One goals.

Midfielders Sam Mantom and Timothee Dieng have also survived the injury malaise and top-notch winger Michael Kightly is available again after recovering from his hamstring strain. Decent goalkeeper Mark Oxley is also fit again after a lengthy absence, but his young deputy Nathan Bishop has performed well in his absence. Veteran centre-back Michael Turner is still useful at League One level and right-back Elvis Bwomono is a strong young player.