Colchester United boss Tony Humes is set to raid the loan market this week with skipper Magnus Okuonghae facing a lengthy lay-off.

Okuonghae was carried off with an Achilles tendon injury in the closing stages of the U’s 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Coventry City.

Colchester will further assess the extent of Okuonghae’s injury today, amid fears their long-serving defender could be sidelined for several months.

The U’s are already without Frankie Kent, who will be out for at least a month with a knee injury.

And with Josh Thompson missing for six weeks with a hamstring problem, Tom Eastman is currently Colchester’s only fit and available recognised centre-back.

Humes said: “It’s not an area we’ve got much cover in.

“We’re in a position where we have to look at what we’ve got and possibly dip into the loan market.

“The good thing is that we have three or four days to work on something, before the loan window shuts.”

For more on this story and five pages of coverage of the U's game with Coventry, see Monday's Daily Gazette.