Colchester United set to have Matt Jay available again

The 28-year-old attacker was forced to miss the U’s defeat at Notts County last weekend due to a quad injury but was an unused substitute for their midweek game with Doncaster Rovers.

Jay started Danny and Nicky Cowley’s first two games in charge and scored at Swindon Town in January but has experienced a largely frustrating season for Colchester, having made just six League Two startrs, in the current campaign.

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However, the former Exeter City favourite could be called upon against Crewe, as the U’s aim to secure a positive result and confirm their Football League status.

Colchester boss Danny Cowley said: “Matt Jay had been nursing a little quad strain against Notts County.

“He was on the bench against Doncaster but we could probably only use him in desperate circumstances.

“We used our experience and held him back although it was tempting to bring him on, of course.

“We’re hopeful that it’s settled down further and we might be able to use him on Saturday.

“We’re hopeful that he’ll train fully (on Friday).

“I believe last Saturday was the first game in his career that he’s missed through injury which is amazing, given the number of games he’s played.

“That shows you what a good professional he is and the way he looks after himself.”

Chay Cooper is also in contention for Colchester for the Crewe game, having recently returned from a loan spell at National League side Hartlepool United, playing under former England international, Kevin Phillips.

The former Spurs youngster was an unused substitute in the U’s defeat to Doncaster Rovers.

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“Chay’s a delight – he’s a brilliant young player,” said Cowley.

“He’s a brilliant young player and has real technical ability and a wonderful ability to speed the game up and take it on the back foot but also make penetrative runs and is as good a finisher as there is at the club, for both feet.

“So there’s a lot to like and it was good to get him out on loan and it was important for him to go out and have that learning experience, as it is for all young players.

“How do they improve young players? Hopefully, with outstanding coaching both on and off the pitch but also, a really competitive game programme.

“Progress doesn’t happen with that upward curve that we’d like.

“We didn’t want him to go on a window to window loan, because then you can’t call them back.

“But with the loan that we set up with Hartlepool, after 28 days you then get call back which is much better for us especially with young players because they’re out playing competitive football and if and when you do need them and they come back, their tools are sharp because they’ve been playing at a good level.

“When boys like Gene Kennedy and Frankie Terry have trained with us post-loan, they’ve come back much sharper as a consequence of the loan experience that they’ve had.”

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Colchester had ten players out for their recent game at Notts County and will again be without a host of players this weekend against Crewe, due to injury and suspension.

Cowley added: “We’ve had ten games in 31 days, so it’s definitely tested us physically and mentally.

“But this is the challenge in front of us and the group have navigated through that really, really well.

“We’re hoping that one, maybe two that hadn’t been available to us are.”