JIMMY Walker could be making his last appearance for Colchester United this evening, when his third and final month on loan from West Ham comes to an end.

Carl Marston

Colchester soccer, secondary story

Walker on brink of farewell?

By Carl Marston

JIMMY Walker could be making his last appearance for Colchester United this evening, when his third and final month on loan from West Ham comes to an end.

The U's believed that they had sent through all the relevant paperwork through on time to the Football League, to sign the 35-year-old on loan for the rest of the season.

But the Football League have continued to insist that they did not receive the fax before the 5pm transfer deadline on February 2, so Walker is set to return to Upton Park this week.

The U's have already recalled Dean Gerken from his loan stint at Darlington. Gerken was summoned back to the Community Stadium at the weekend, and so missed the Quakers 2-0 defeat at Exeter.

Walker is eligible to play at Huddersfield tonight - it will be his 16th appearance for the U's - but Gerken looks poised to return to the No. 1 spot at Oldham on Saturday.

Johnnie Jackson and John White both remain sidelined by shoulder problems, although skipper Dean Hammond is hoping to shrug off a sore hamstring to feature against the Terriers.

Hammond was forced to sit out Saturday's 1-1 home draw against Hartlepool. In fact, it was the first league game that the former Brighton midfielder had missed since August! He had started the previous 26 league fixtures.

Clive Platt and David Perkins were both on the bench against Pools, due to niggling injuries, but both could return to the starting line-up in Yorkshire.

Hosts Huddersfield have an impressive home record. Lee Clark's men are unbeaten in their last eight games at the Galpharm Stadium, with six wins and two draws.

Squads

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN: Smithies, Holdsworth, N Clarke, Butler, Williams, Pilkington, Collins, Goodwin, Roberts, Cadamarteri, Jutkiewivcz, Booth, Ainsworth, Lucketti, Eastwood, T Clarke.

COLCHESTER UNITED: Walker, Maybury, Baldwin, Reid, Tierney, Perkins, Izzet, Hammond, Hackney, Yeates, Platt, Vernon, Gillespie, Gobern, Wordsworth, Coyne, Heath, Gerken.