Colchester's Lyle Taylor will miss the rest of the season due to a severe calf strain. The 35-year-old former Nottingham Forest forward suffered the injury during last Saturday's 2-0 win at Newport County.

What happened?

Taylor went off after only 12 minutes of the match and has since been diagnosed with a 3C calf strain, which is about as bad as it can get, according to boss Danny Cowley.

Impact on the team

The injury is a significant blow to Colchester's playoff hopes, as Taylor has scored 13 goals in 40 appearances this term. Cowley told BBC Essex Sport that the good news is that the injury is not career-threatening, but it will keep Taylor out for about 12 weeks.

Current standing

As of now, Colchester are 12th in League Two, with 66 points from 46 games, and are on a 2-game winning run. Their recent form has been WLLWW, with their last result being a 4-1 win over Cheltenham on May 2, 2026. | Category | Stat | | --- | --- | | League standing | 12th | | Points | 66 | | Recent form | WLLWW | | Goals scored | 62 | | Goals conceded | 49 | | Goal difference | +13 |

What comes next?

Colchester will face Crewe Alexandra on Friday, followed by trips to Doncaster Rovers and Salford City. Their regular season campaign concludes at home to Barrow on May 3, 2026. Cowley said that Taylor was hurting because he wanted to finish the job, but the team will have to push on without him.