Sam Stockley has breathed a sigh of relief after discovering he has not fractured his leg.

Welcome news - Sam Stockley will be back in action sooner than U's had first feared.

The Colchester United defender suffered a heavy knock during Saturday's 1-0 defeat at home to Blackpool in the Coca-Cola League One.

An X-ray yesterday confirmed that the fans' favourite suffered severe bruising to his ankle and not a fractured fibula in his left leg, as first feared. Stockley said: "It was a heavy knock and painful.

"However, the X-ray revealed there was no fracture and, at the moment, it just looks like bruising to the bone.

"That's a massive relief because if I respond well to treatment then I can get back out there sooner than expected.

"I want to be playing now more than ever."

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Published Tuesday, February 8, 2005