Joe Dunne spoke for the first time today of the injury that came horribly close to costing him an eye and left him with 40 stitches in his face.

Battered, bruised, bloodied and badly swollen, the 27-year-old Colchester United defender revealed he could be sidelined for several weeks after taking the full impact of Matthew Taylor's studs in his face during the U's 3-0 win at Luton.

"I've suffered stud marks on most parts of my body in the past," said the former Republic of Ireland Under-21 international.

"But I've never taken a full bunch of six in my face before.

"If the lad's boot had landed just a couple of inches the other way I would have lost an eye, there's no doubt about that!"

Dunne was stretchered off in the 31st minute of Saturday's Nationwide Division Two match with a deep gash down the right side of his face after clashing with Taylor on the halfway line.

The U's favourite said: "I tackled Taylor and as I slid along the ground he jumped to avoid the challenge and his boot landed on my face.

"I took the full impact of his studs which left me with a suspected broken jaw and a long, ugly gash that forks away near my right ear.

"I've got scratches and bruises coming out all over my face and the swelling is so bad it makes me look quite grotesque.

"When people look at me now they see Joe Dunne on one side and Frankenstein's monster on the other."

Dunne is set to have another x-ray and a visit to a specialist tomorrow in an effort to determine the full extent of his injury and to find out how long he could be sidelined.

He praised U's physio Brian Owen, the paramedics and the surgeon who stitched his wound at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital: "BO and the paramedics at the ground were fantastic and the surgeon who spent an hour and a half stitching my face was top class."

Youth team goalkeeper Glenn Williamson will be on the U's bench for Friday night's home clash with lowly Oxford United after Simon Brown suffered a thigh strain in Monday's reserve team outing against Norwich.

Midfield general Jason Dozzell is also very doubtful because of a toe infection, but defender Alan White has reported fit after twisting a knee in Monday's game.

Battered and bruised - Joe Dunne shows the stitched wound he suffered in a tackle at Luton.

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