Colchester United loanee Anthony Scully to return to Portsmouth

ANTHONY Scully is set to return to his parent club Portsmouth for assessment after being ruled out with an ankle injury.

The 25-year-old striker, who is currently on a season-long loan at Colchester United from Pompey, has been suffering from discomfort from a long-standing ankle problem.

Scully has made only one league start for the U’s since joining them on deadline day, with his last appearance coming as a second-half substitute in their FA Cup defeat at Swindon Town.

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The former West Ham United youngster suffered a frustrating time at Portsmouth last season due to the ankle injury and it looks like he is now destined for more time on the sidelines.

Scully’s likely return to Portsmouth leaves Colchester light of attacking options particularly this weekend, with Lyle Taylor away on international duty and Owura Edwards still sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Colchester boss Danny Cowley said: “We signed Anthony right at the end of deadline day.

(Image: RICHARD BLAXALL)

“Unfortunately, the Bradley (Ihionvien) deal to Peterborough happened so late. When you do it that late as we did with Anthony, you can’t do it with a medical and all these types of things, you don’t have the time.

“He’s had an ankle injury which has been quite long standing really.

“There’s some metal work in that ankle injury from a previous operation which has been really irritating him.

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“It’s really stiffened up his ankle and he’s been putting some force through the knee and the hip, which is why we’ve been injecting him.

“We’ve done all we can and the kid has done all he can but ultimately, it looks like he’s going to need that (metal work) taken out.

“But it’s up to Portsmouth really, because they’re obviously Anthony’s parent club and because it’s an existing injury, it’s whether they decide to do that.

“It looks like he’ll go back to Portsmouth and do his rehab there.”

Scully has made nine appearances for Colchester in total since joining them on loan from Portsmouth, scoring once.