Colchester United will use their break between fixtures as a chance to assess potential signings in the January transfer window.

The U’s are without a League Two game this weekend owing to their early FA Cup exit at the hands of non-league Oxford City, earlier this month.

Colchester do not now play a competitive match until they host promotion-chasing Exeter City, on December 9.

With comings and goings expected from the Weston Homes Community Stadium when the window reopens in a few weeks’ time, head coach John McGreal says now is a good opportunity to line up their business.

He said: “Now we have a break between fixtures, we can reassess a little bit about what January can bring for us.”

Loanees Brandon Comley, Brandon Hanlan, Nicke Kabamba and Kyel Reid are all due to see their loans at Colchester come to an end, in January.

Boss McGreal has suggested he would like to bolster his squad for the second half of the campaign, as the U’s look to push for promotion back to League One.

Meanwhile, Colchester will also decide whether or not to offer Sanmi Odelusi an extension to his short-term contract.

The former Bolton Wanderers attacker signed a short-term deal with the U’s in August, after leaving Wigan Athletic.

But that is due to expire at the end of the season and Odelusi is hoping to extend his stay at the Community Stadium.

He boosted his chances of remaining at the club after coming off the bench to score his first Colchester goal, in their 2-1 defeat at Notts County on Saturday.

Odelusi’s well-taken equaliser was ultimately in vain after Ryan Yates bagged a stoppage-time winner for the Magpies but boss McGreal was left suitably impressed.

McGreal said: “It was a great pass (from Mikael Mandron) and Sanmi has got on the blind side of a defender and shown a bit of composure to slot it home really well.

“It was a great moment for him – he’s been working really hard on the training pitch.

“He’s been a bit of a bit-part player but he’s shown a lot of determination and application and we just thought it might be a great point, for him to score and for us to come away with something from the top of the league side.”

Meanwhile, Colchester are hoping Sean Murray will be ready to return to training, next week, The midfielder has not featured since injuring his knee during the U’s goal-less draw at Coventry City, at the end of last month.