Joe Colbeck is going on City’s Scottish tour today – after begging boss Stuart McCall to take him.

The current player of the year has been troubled by a sore groin which has prevented him from playing any part in pre-season so far.

Colbeck has had the problem since January but it did not hamper his performances in the second half of last season, when he produced the best form of his City career.

The club hoped a summer rest would help clear it but the winger experienced some pain again when training resumed.

City were not planning to include him in the party which travels north of the border at lunchtime but, with their physiotherapy team on the trip, McCall now feels it will be better for Colbeck to be able to receive regular treatment rather than working alone in the gym.

McCall said: “Karen (May) has pushed him a bit and Joe’s certainly improved. He’s begged me to go and we can probably do more work with him in Scotland than leaving him back here.”

Colbeck is already banned for the first two games of the new season after his red card against MK Dons in April.

He was sent off in the final home game after a clash with Dons defender Dean Lewington and was forced to sit out the last-day defeat at Wycombe.

With Colbeck now on board, McCall will lead a 19-man squad for the four-day trip, which takes in matches against Dundee tomorrow night and Motherwell on Saturday.

Both Graeme Lee and Chris Brandon have been included, although neither have featured yet for their new club because of slight strains.

McCall said: “It’s been nothing major but it would have been silly to push either of them when we want to get everybody up to Scotland. I want to take a strong squad up there because that is when the games start getting more serious.”

City have announced their shirt numbers for the new campaign. Lee has taken over the number five from David Wetherall – and is also tipped to replace him as captain – while Brandon is 11.

Paul Arnison is number two as right back and Paul McLaren has been given four. There is no number one at the moment as McCall decides on a first-choice keeper.

Rhys Evans played in the 2-1 defeat at Guiseley last night and will be looking to cement his place during City’s spell in Scotland.

CITY NUMBERS: 2 Paul Arnison; 3 Paul Heckingbottom; 4 Paul McLaren; 5 Graeme Lee; 6 Mark Bower; 7 Omar Daley; 8 Lee Bullock; 9 Barry Conlon; 10 Peter Thorne; 11 Chris Brandon; 12 Matt Clarke; 13 Jon McLaughlin; 15 Joe Colbeck; 16 Simon Ainge; 17 Willy Topp; 19 Luke O’Brien; 22 Kyle Nix; 26 Luke Sharry; 27 Leon Osborne; 28 Sean Taylforth; 29 Adrian Bellamy; 30 Matthew Convey.