Colchester United defender, Josh Thompson, who has only played 45 minutes of football in the last 18 months, looks set to go out on loan.

Thompson has been plagued by injury woes for more than a year, and so is desperately short of match fitness.

To get some game-time under his belt, the ex-Celtic and Portsmouth centre-half is looking for a loan spell elsewhere.

“Josh (Thompson) needs to go out and play,” explained U’s manager Tony Humes.

“He hasn’t played for over a year, and I don’t think he is in contention to play. He needs to go out and play football somewhere, for himself, and to get his career going again.

“So we have made him available to go out on loan.

“We haven’t had anything appropriate for Josh to go to yet, but that’s what we are looking to do,” added Humes.

Since the beginning of April, 2013, Thompson has only played one half of football, in a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy fixture at Dagenham & Redbridge, due to a long-term ankle injury and then a hamstring problem.

Meanwhile, Humes confirmed yesterday that he is targeting a couple of new players in the loan market.

“We are making progress with a couple of bits,” revealed Humes.

“There is nothing definite as yet, but we are looking to bring in a couple, perhaps in by Saturday, though whether that’s possible I don’t know yet.

“We were very close to signing (striker) Rhys Healy, from Cardiff City. We were very close on Tuesday, and close to getting him down here yesterday.

“But what has happened at Cardiff, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (stepping down as manager yesterday), means that the deal has been put on hold. We haven’t heard any more.

“Rhys has been watched by quite a few clubs, and we have seen him in under-21 games. He is a goalscorer, and we do need back-up for Freddie (Sears).”