Colchester United striker Lyle Taylor out for the season
COLCHESTER United have suffered a big blow after their top goalscorer Lyle Taylor was ruled out for the rest of the season with a calf injury.
Taylor was stretchered off in the early stages of the U’s 2-0 win at Newport County last weekend.
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There had been fears that his impressive career may be over depending on the severity of the injury but U’s boss Danny Cowley says the striker is set to be out for 12 weeks.
Cowley said: “The good news is that it’s not career threatening which we were nervous of at first, because he’d been struggling with tendonitis in the Achilles and we’d just assumed that he’d snapped his Achilles, the way that he had pain in that area.
“But it’s actually quite a severe calf strain – it’s a 3c which is about as bad as you can do it.
“It’s about a 15 centimetre tear but the tear is vertical and it has a bit of soleus and gastro involved, so both calf muscles.
“It means his season is over unfortunately but probably a 12-week injury and I suppose Saturday night, all of our fears were that it might be the end for Lyle, because you snap your Achilles at 35 it’s not easy to come back from.
“But this one he definitely will be able to and while he won’t be able to help us on the pitch, I know he will continue to help the group, off the pitch.”
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Taylor, who is out of contract this summer, is Colchester’s top scorer this season with 13Â goals.
The experienced striker has made a big impact since arriving at the U’s last summer on a free transfer and has made 42 league and cup appearances.
“He’s been brilliant, he’s been a pleasure,” added Cowley.
“I worked with him for a year when he was just a baby, just an 18 year old and it’s been great to spend the season with him now as a 34, now 35 year old.
“He’s a unique character, he’s a bundle of fun.
“What people sometimes miss with Lyle is that he’s got a big personality, some would say a big ego but the biggest thing about him is his heart and he’s a good kid who cares and he’s been a really positive influence on everybody around him.
“He’s got us this far and now I think the group are ready to push on.”
