Teenage striker Matt Jay starts for City
Under-18 striker Matt Jay makes his first start for the Grecians, having once before been given first-team action when Exeter faced Wycombe Wanderers in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in August.
He lines up alongside centre-forward Sam Parkin, who makes his return to St James Park after an absence to face Southend at SJP.
Danny Butterfield, returning from injury, begins on the bench.
Former Grecians striker Barry Corr is amongst the subs for visitors Southend.
Exeter City: Krysiak, Bennett, Baldwin, Coles, Woodman; Grimes, Gill, Sercombe; Davies; Jay; Parkin.
Subs: Pym; Gow, Moore-Taylor, O’Flynn, Nichols, Wheeler, Butterfield.
Southend United: Bentley, White, Coker, Prosser, Timlin, Straker, Atkinson, Hurst, Kiernan, Leonard, Woodrow.
Subs: Smith, Laird, Phillips, Reid, Corr, Njie, Payne.