Colchester United head coach John McGreal is confident that they can cope with their growing injury list – and get back to winning ways this weekend.

And the U’s boss has backed the club’s talented up-and-coming players to step up to the plate and play their part in helping them beat bottom club Newport County.

Kurtis Guthrie and Richard Brindley are the latest senior players to be laid low by injury, with the duo’s fitness set to be checked ahead of tomorrow’s first-ever competitive match against the Exiles.

Dion Sembie-Ferris, Brennan Dickenson and Frankie Kent are already sidelined, with Tom Lapslie, Matt Briggs, Doug Loft, Owen Garvan and Louis Dunne long-term absentees.

And with Arsenal loanee Glen Kamara currently away on international duty with Finland under-21s, the U’s squad is being stretched.

However, academy duo Tariq Issa and Cameron James featured in Colchester’s Checkatrade Trophy defeat against Southampton under-23s, in midweek.

McGreal said: “It’s part and parcel of the game.

“We’re still only 11 games in and we’ve had injuries but the lads who have been out two or three weeks, hopefully they’re two or three weeks closer to being fit.

“The ones who are getting closer aren’t close enough for this coming weekend, but hopefully we’ll get one or two back soon.

“We will dip into the younger squad as they haven’t let us down but we still have enough in our squad to go and win games.

“We want to have this competition for places and give boys who have been sitting in the background a chance.

“Kane Vincent Young and Alex Wynter came in the other night (against Southampton) and it gives them a chance to show they are ready when called upon.

“We’ll have to bring in one of the younger boys to be involved in the squad and if we have to dip into the under-21s then we will do.

“We proved that the other night with Tariq, Cameron James and the other boys who came on who I thought did really well.”

McGreal said both Brindley (groin) and Guthrie (foot) are being assessed on a “daily basis” ahead of the Newport clash.

“They have been playing through little injuries recently and after the long journey last weekend, they were sore when they came in on the Monday,” added McGreal.

“They have been doing a little bit of work and we’re hoping they won’t have any reaction to that.”