Magnus Okuonghae “thought he had been kicked” in the immediate aftermath of rupturing his Achilles tendon.

The Colchester United skipper is likely to miss the rest of the season after suffering the injury in their 1-0 defeat against Coventry City, last weekend.

Okuonghae is due to undergo surgery on the injury today before starting the long road to recovery.

But U’s head physio Tony Flynn has revealed the powerful U’s defender did not immediately realise the severity of the situation.

Flynn has likened Okuonghae’s injury to the one suffered by former England captain David Beckham while playing for AC Milan in 2010, which resulted in him missing the World Cup.

He said: “I’ve come across this kind of injury a few times – David Beckham did the same a few years ago.

“When the calf muscles flex, the Achilles tendon pulls on the heel and that’s when it can be at its longest.

“That’s why Magnus thought immediately afterwards that someone had kicked him.

“I remember Geraint Williams saying exactly the same thing when he did his.

“We squeezed Magnus’s calf and his foot didn’t move and that was a sign of what he had done.”

Okuonghae is likely to be sidelined for up to six months with the injury, which could rule him out for the rest of the season.

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