Brennan Dickenson is the latest in a long line of Colchester United players to suffer serious injuries this season.

Dickenson could be sidelined for up to nine months, after sustaining cruciate ligament damage during a training session last week, in the build up to Saturday’s incident-packed 3-1 win at Leyton Orient.

The likes of Luke Prosser, Frankie Kent, Lloyd Doyley, Craig Slater, Sammie Szmodics, Denny Johnstone and Kurtis Guthrie were all ruled out for the season, for various long-term injuries, a long while ago.

And team-mates Matt Briggs, Lewis Kinsella, Doug Loft and Tom Eastman have all recovered from serious injuries to play a part in the U’s run-in.

There is no doubt that Dickenson will be a huge miss, if the U’s do make the end-of-season play-offs.

The ex-Gillingham 24-year-old has been a strong contender for U’s player-of-the-season, impressing in the left-wing and left wing-back roles.

His contribution has included scoring 12 goals, and setting up team-mates with seven assists.

Dickenson’s absence did not prevent the U’s from recording their first away win of 2017, at Leyton Orient, despite the distraction of a pitch invasion which caused a two-hour delay before the final few minutes of the match could be played out, in a near-empty stadium.

John McGreal’s men are now just one point adrift of the play-offs, although still three places off the top-seven – there are actually seven teams contesting the final two play-off spots, going into this final weekend.

“It sets up a fantastic last weekend of the season, and let’s be excited about what we are trying to do, with the players we have got,” insisted McGreal.

“Again we have lost Brennan Dickenson through last week – he has done his cruciate and will now be out of action for nine months, or whatever it is.

“Brennan has been a huge, huge player for us, and it’s a sad miss for him as well, in his career.

“He was doing really well of late. It’s been a big blow for us, because he’s been unbelievable.

“It’s gone on record we have turned down bids for him in the January window and he’s got himself in the position where he has been on top form for the majority of the season.

“It’s unfortunate for him, he’s hit a bit of low so we have been in there supporting him.

“But Brennan will come back even stronger. He’s a strong boy, it’s just heart-breaking for himself and heart-breaking for us.

“He’ll come back bigger and better, and we will give him that support that we have given the other boys who have been out long term this season, like the Prossers and people like that who have had their seasons ended much earlier.

“We’re had to take the hits, and it shows the way the club is and the squad is that we have players coming in who can still get the wins,” added McGreal.