Colchester United midfielder Milton Oni will be out of action for “several months” because of a serious knee injury.
The 18-year-old suffered a ruptured ACL and torn medial meniscus after being tackled during their Carabao Cup game against Brentford on 28 August, which the Premier League side won 1-0.
Oni was making his first senior start for the U’s, having been a substitute in his two previous appearances this season.
“We looked to spend a few days settling this down before we sent Milton for an MRI (scan),” said club physio Hayden Clifton.
“The reason for this is that if you send a player for an MRI with a big effusion [fluid] on the knee, the image will be distorted as it masks the true pathology.”
Oni will now see a knee specialist and Clifton added: “It’s important at this time that we have a positive outlook on the injury and the road ahead.”
Colchester have a home game against Bromley on Saturday.