Colchester United's Michael Folivi faces injury lay-off

The former Watford youngster was helped off after suffering the injury in the first half of the goal-less draw at the JobServe Community Stadium.

It is tough luck for Folivi, who has started Colchester’s last three games and scored four times for them, this season.

Colchester boss Steve Ball said: “It looks quite serious.

“We will assess it and see where we go from there.

“When he first felt it, I was asking ‘are you OK?’.

“It shows Mike’s character to want to carry on but unfortunately, staying on the pitch has really cost him because it was typical that with the very next move we broke away on a counter.

“It meant he had to open up a bit and as soon as he did that, it went.”

There was more positive news for Colchester on the injury front though with midfielder Tom Lapslie making his first competitive start in more than a year, against Cheltenham.

The combative midfielder completed 90 minutes for the U’s in the draw, having battled his way back from knee and hamstring injuries.

Ball said: “It was Tom’s first start in a long time and to keep him out there for 90 minutes was some achievement – he had cramp after 60!”

Colchester’s 0-0 draw with Cheltenham moved them to within two points of the play-off places, in League Two.

The U’s have not won in their last five matches but boss Ball believes the draw is a good platform from which to build, ahead of their home clash with Tranmere Rovers on Saturday.

Ball added: “We’ve had a dip in form in terms of what was going on at the start of the year – there’s no doubt about that.

“The point (against Cheltenham) was important to build into Saturday’s game against Tranmere, which will be a really tough game again.

“It will be another team against us with experience all over the pitch.

“But I think we can take confidence from the (Cheltenham) game and once we get that winning feeling again, I really feel as though we can kick on from there.”