Injuries don’t just pop up at Colchester United, in dribs and drabs. They arrived like red buses, one-after-the-other in rapid succession.

The U’s current injury list is so long that you could field a whole team of crocked players – escort them from the treatment table onto the pitch, and you would have a very useful starting XI.

In fact, you would also have the personnel to fill a portion of the substitutes’ bench!

All the players that missed, or were injured during, the U’s 2-1 home win over Barnet last Saturday could again be out of action tonight, when Crawley Town are the visitors.

There is an outside chance that Chris Porter could return to the fray, and Richard Brindley’s sore calf should also only be short-term, but otherwise the treatment room remains full.

Here is a run-down of the present-day U’s first-teamers who are sidelined by injury:

1 Dean Brill (keeper) – knee swelled up in training last Tuesday.

2 Richard Brindley (right-back) – twinged his calf during the draw at Blackpool. Touch-and-go for tonight

3 Lewis Kinsella (left-back) – finally on the comeback trail after an ankle injury. He played for the U’s under-23s at Manchester City on Sunday.

4 Luke Prosser (centre-half) – the club captain is out for the season with a knee injury

5 Tom Eastman (centre-half) – sidelined for the rest of the season. He will have an operation after rupturing ankle ligaments at Blackpool.

6 Frankie Kent (centre-half) – stretchered off after injurying his ankle inside the first six minutes of Saturday’s win over Barnet.

7 Tommy O’Sullivan (midfielder) – new recruit has a knee injjury

8 Doug Loft (midfielder) – struggled with injuries since his arrival from Gillingham in the summer, mainly an Achilles problem.

9 Chris Porter (attacker) – sore hip flexor, might be back tonight, otherwise at Accrington on Saturday

10 Sammie Szmodics (attacker) – long-term foot problem.

11 Drey Wright (attacker) - hernia operation, out for six weeks.

Subs: Lloyd Doyley (calf), Jermaine Grandison (hip). Also: Sean Murray (suspended).