Courtney Senior could be the missing ingredient that helps to get Colchester United’s League Two promotion bandwagon back on track.

Attack-minded Senior made a big impact as a substitute during the second half of last Saturday’s 1-1 home draw against Grimsby Town, and is now knocking on the door for a first-ever start in the Football League, perhaps at Port Vale this Saturday.

The 19-year-old has had his share of injuries, since his arrival from Brentford in the summer of 2016.

He missed the whole of last season with a knee injury and then damaged his hamstring on his league debut for the U’s against Forest Green Rovers, having netted a tap-in injury-time goal just a few minutes after coming on as a substitute in that 5-1 home success last August.

But Senior is fighting fit again, and ready to be unleashed by manager John McGreal during the final three months of the campaign.

“Courtney has been waiting to get in and around it, and he deserved his opportunity,” explained McGreal.

“He can play a range of roles, out on the right and on the left, and through the middle, as we have seen in the under-23s.

“He’s been out for a long time, but he could be that little bit of injection that we have been missing.”

- ‘We just needed to have a talk’ – Sean Murray

The U’s were really struggling, before Senior’s intervention as a substitute for the start of the second half. Trailing to Charles Varnem’s 37th minute opener, the hosts could have been even three or four down after a very poor first-half display.

“I thought young Courtney came on and made an impact,” continued McGreal. “I just thought the top the three got in the game a bit more than they did in the first half. We got some width, and started asking their defence some questions, which we didn’t do in that first half.

“Courtney started probing their defence.

He was close to playing (starting). It was one where you are looking, having known what he did last week in that cameo appearance (75th minute substitute at Wycombe).

“He trained particularly well all week, and he’s a boy that we have been waiting to get fit. It was an opportunity for him to go on and show us what he could do.”