Colchester United’s promising young midfielder, Milton Oni, is set to be out of action for several months after suffering a serious knee injury during the U’s Carabao Cup tie against Brentford last month.
The 18-year-old ruptured his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and tore his medial meniscus following a late tackle in the second half of the match, which marked his first professional start for the club.
Oni was forced to leave the pitch just after the hour mark due to the heavy challenge, cutting short his debut in the second-round clash against the Premier League side. He is now awaiting consultation with a knee specialist to determine the next steps in his recovery.
Colchester’s head physio, Hayden Clifton, provided an update on the club’s website, explaining the process leading up to Oni’s diagnosis. “Due to the knee effusion (swelling) increasing overnight, we looked to spend a few days settling this down before we sent Milton for an MRI. The reason for this is that if you send a player for an MRI with a big effusion on the knee, the image will be distorted as the fluid masks the true pathology.”
Clifton confirmed the seriousness of the injury, stating: “We have now received the MRI report, and unfortunately, Milton has ruptured his ACL and torn his medial meniscus. The next steps for us are to see a knee specialist to identify the next steps. It’s important at this time that we have a positive outlook on the injury and the road ahead.”
The injury is a significant blow for Oni, who had impressed Colchester boss Danny Cowley in pre-season and had earned his place in the first-team squad. Cowley expressed confidence in the youngster’s ability to overcome this setback, saying: “He’s an ultra-positive boy, and this is just the next challenge in his journey. He’s overcome the challenges that he’s had in his career so far, and I’ve no doubt he’ll do the same with this one.”
Colchester have had an indifferent start to their League Two campaign, winning and drawing a game, but losing two. That’s left the 15th in the table, with Bromley to face this weekend in one of the few games in 10 games taking place in the basement division on international weekend.
Writer’s View
This is a tough injury for a young player to take, and one that will take a lot of bouncing back from. He’s young enough to do so, and in Cowley, he has a manager who has helped players through long-term injuries before. At Lincoln, he oversaw Neal Eardley’s resurgence after a long spell on the sidelines, so Oni is in good hands.
Other players have come back from multiple ACL injuries—Lewis Montsma at Lincoln, and Jodi Jones at Notts County are two prime examples. It’s a long road back, but one that can be travelled with hard work and the right support.
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