CITY have been urged to dust themselves down and come out fighting tonight as they deal with a growing injury scourge.

Phil Parkinson takes his troops to Colchester still wounded over effectively losing Paul Anderson for the rest of the campaign with a broken leg.

Anderson is the latest long-term casualty on a list that already includes Filipe Morais and last season's top scorer Billy Clarke. With Josh Morris still out for another couple of weeks, City are now without three wingers.

It is a testing backdrop for Parkinson to face his old club, who have won three on the bounce. But he said: "Football throws up many challenges along the way. We are facing one at the moment.

"Everyone was flat after Saturday with the result and Ando's injury. But we've had that time feeling sorry for ourselves and now we've got to be ready to go again."

Parkinson has been working on a loan replacement for Anderson since the injury was confirmed – the latest blow to hit his squad since Morais damaged his cruciate during pre-season training.

"We've had some terrible luck with injuries," admitted the City boss.

"I spent a lot of time talking with Steve (Parkin) on Sunday about what we are going to do this week and there was the obvious disappointment of losing the game.

"But if you take a step back, when any team gets a serious injury like that it does leave a black cloud hanging over the place. You could feel that with the players and the crowd.

"You maybe get one serious injury a season but we've had Morais, Clarke, the two young lads and now Paul. That's just very unlucky and there's not much you can do about it.

"We wanted to give it more width this season. That's why our aim was to make sure we have enough wide players in the squad – but you don't expect to lose them like that."

Morris started jogging again on Friday as he recovers from knee ligament trouble and Parkinson hopes he "won't be too long".

He added: "I've got a lot of hope in Josh. He's a really good player and a fantastic character as well. He's a lovely lad, a bit like Darbs (Stephen Darby) because he's also got that winning edge to him.

"He wants to produce all the time. Josh hasn't got the pace of Marshy (Mark Marshall) but his cleverness gets him in great crossing positions."

With his wide resources limited until a new recruit lands, Parkinson may consider changing team formation against the U's.

Steve Davies took over from Anderson on the wing against Peterborough and put himself about. Dylan Mottley-Henry came on late for his first outing of the season but it is doubtful whether City feel the first-year professional is ready to start.

Saturday's defeat was the first in six games and Parkinson was unhappy at the lack of response after going behind to Posh's double strike soon after the break.

He is hoping City can put that right against the fast-improving U's, saying: "We just lacked a method to get back into it on Saturday. We lost our shape and the pattern to our play.

"We'd started the second half brightly and then they scored two goals in two minutes – they were really the only thing Brad Jones had to deal with all game.

"We tried hard enough to come back. But whereas we got back on the horse quickly the week before at 2-2 (against Sheffield United), we just looked a bit desperate.

"Colchester are a good side and they are doing very well at the moment. But we need to respond to a poor result, dust ourselves down and get going again."

* Tonight's game is being beamed back live to a big screen in the McCall and Hendrie suites at Valley Parade. City have agreed with Colchester to reciprocate the arrangement for the return clash on March 1.