BRENNAN Dickenson is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a serious knee injury.

The Colchester United wide-man, a candidate for the club’s player of the year accolade at their End of Season awards tomorrow night, suffered cruciate damage in training last week.

Dickenson, who was the subject of a rejected bid from Championship side Ipswich Town in January, has been superb for the U’s in his first season with the club, scoring 12 times and providing countless assists for his team-mates.

However, the 24-year-old is now set for a prolonged spell out of action, much to the disappointment and sadness of Colchester head coach John McGreal.

McGreal said: “Brennan has been unbelievable for us.

“It’s gone on record that we’ve turned down bids for him in the January transfer window.

“He got himself into a position where he’d been in top form for the majority of the season.

"He's been a huge player for us and it’s a sad miss for him and his career.

“It’s unfortunate for him – he’s hit a little bit of a low so we’ve been there supporting him and he’ll come back even stronger.

“He’s a strong boy but it’s heartbreaking for Brennan and also for us.

“He’ll come back bigger, better and we’ll give him tons of support that we’ve shown to the other boys who have been out throughout the season, like Luke Prosser.

“We’ve had to take the hits but it shows you the way the club is and the way that the squad is that we’ve still got players who can come on and get wins that we need.”

Meanwhile, McGreal is hopeful that teenage defender Cameron James will be available for Colchester’s vital game with Yeovil Town on Saturday after he missed the 3-1 win at Leyton Orient with a hamstring problem.