Marcus Bean is set to miss Colchester United’s forthcoming friendlies after suffering a knee injury.

The experienced midfielder was forced to sit out the U’s opening pre-season win at Brantham Athletic, last weekend.

Bean will miss Colchester’s friendly at Ryman League division one north side Heybridge Swifts tonight (7.45pm kick-off).

And the knee problem is likely to sideline the ex-Brentford man for the U’s forthcoming warm-up games against Leiston and Ipswich Town.

U’s boss Joe Dunne said: “Marcus has a slight knee injury which is going to need a couple of weeks to rest and get going again.

“These things aren’t uncommon in pre-season, once they get going again.

“We just need to give a couple of weeks to rest it and our motto is fit and fresh – that’s what we’re trying to do in pre-season.”

Dunne is likely to adopt the same approach undertaken in last weekend’s game at Brantham, where he fielded separate U’s sides in either half.

For more on this story and all of the latest U's news, including a double-page preview on the U's challenging summer fitness regime, see Tuesday's Daily Gazette.