Colchester United boss, Tony Humes, is no nearer to bolstering his squad with one or two new defensive loan players, ahead of tomorrow’s game at fifth-placed Oldham Athletic.

“We’ve still been looking, but nothing has happened, so we are still as we are for Saturday,” explained Humes, following yesterday’s training session at Florence Park, Tiptree.

“With the targets we had (at the start of the week), the goal-posts changed, in terms of the two we were looking at from the previous week.

“It makes it unreachable for us, with what we are looking for. We’re not that close.

“We are looking for a long-term thing, just more back-up for us more than anything else, so that we have the ability to have a replacement should there be an injury, or just to change things around a bit.

“At the minute, we are a bit – ‘as we’ve got.’

“But I think the players in the back four have enough experience to deal with what is happening.

“They shouldn’t be thinking whether or not there is someone ready to take their place – they should be thinking about doing their best for the club every-time.

“If they can’t do that, then we’ve got a problem anyway,” added Humes.

There was a post-match discussion, amongst the players and management in the away dressing room, following Tuesday night’s 4-1 defeat at Sheffield United.

Humes saw this as a positive development, as opposed to just sweeping things under the carpet.

Humes confirmed: “What was said after Tuesday’s defeat was healthy, and positive. about how we are going to manage these games better.

“It was nothing negative.

“In modern-day life, people probably don’t speak enough. That’s something we are trying to encourage, talking to each other, to make things better.

“People have got to take more ownership and responsibilty, for everything,” added Humes.

The U’s will welcome back Ipswich Town loanee, Elliott Hewitt, after a three-match suspension for tomorrow’s test at Oldham’s Boundary Park.

However, midfielder George Moncur will again miss out due to illness, as will Alex Gilbey with his ankle injury.