Gavin Massey admits he may have to bide his time before winning his place back in Colchester United’s starting line-up.

The U’s attacker came off the bench for the second successive match in their 3-1 defeat at the hands of Coventry City, last weekend.

Massey is still easing his way back to full fitness following his recent calf injury, which saw him sidelined for four matches.

And with Colchester’s attack in clinical form, the former Watford youngster says he might have to wait longer for a full recall.

Massey said: “It was good to get back out there and I feel a lot better.

“I’m looking forward to the Millwall game next weekend now but the boys who have been playing up top have been doing well.

“I have to bide my time, put the work in in training and be patient and see what the gaffer says.

“If I have to spend some time on the bench that’s fine, because the boys have been doing well and I’ll just wait for my opportunity.”

Meanwhile, Massey says Colchester should aim to emulate sides like Coventry as they strive to move up the League One table.

The Sky Blues’ win at the Weston Homes Community Stadium last weekend saw them move joint top of the table.

Massey said: “We look at the likes of Coventry and the way that they play football and that’s what we’ve got to get to as a club to compete with the best.

“They’re one of the better sides that we’ve played this season and they probably deserved the win.

“We gave it a right go - it was still a good performance and we can’t be too disappointed and we keep going.

“I think we were the better side in the first half and had we gone in at half-time 1-0 up, it would have been a different game.

“But from the point Coventry equalised we weren’t really the same and they got an early goal in the second half which kind of killed us.

“We gave it a go in the second half but overall, they were the better side.

“We were unlucky in the first half not to score more - we had some good chances and we could have been out of sight.

“But that’s football and they got the goal and were probably stronger after that.”