TWTD understands Town striker Ben Morris has suffered an ACL injury in training, only eight months after returning to action following a similar injury.
The 21-year-old had been one of the young players tipped to make an impression on the first team in the season ahead but now potentially faces missing the entire 2020/21 campaign.
The news is a huge blow to the Colchester-born academy product, who was sidelined with his previous ACL injury, also sustained in training in January 2019.
Morris, who along with fellow young strikers Aaron Drinan and Ben Folami has been training with the first team, eventually returned to action with the U23s in December last year but wasn’t involved with the first team before the season was curtailed due to the coronavirus.
Confirming the injury, physio Matt Byard told the club site: "Ben has sadly re-torn his cruciate ligament.
"He is seeing a specialist next week and we will take it from there but obviously it will mean an extensive recovery period.”"
Prior to his injury, Morris, who is contracted to the Blues until next summer with the club having an option for a further season, had made one senior start and four sub appearances without scoring.
The England U17, U18 and U19 international has also spent spells on loan at Woking and Forest Green Rovers.