Former Carlisle United keeper Shamal George looks set to be the man charged with stopping the Blues from returning to winning ways tomorrow.

The ex-Blues loanee is likely to start for Colchester after an injury to first-choice Us keeper Dean Gerken.

It will mean only a third league start of the season for ex-Liverpool man George, who was with United in the 2017/18 season.

Experienced Gerken was forced off with a back injury at half-time in the Essex outfit’s 3-0 defeat at Forest Green on Saturday, which was also his 200th Colchester appearance.

Interim boss Wayne Brown said Gerken, who is facing a spell on the sidelines, was “devastated”.

“It looks like he’s going to struggle and it’s something that we need to look at, going forwards,” Brown said.

George came off the bench in the game as Colchester’s winless run extended to 14 games.

He has so far made two league starts and two sub appearances, also getting three Papa John’s Trophy outings after joining Colchester last summer.

His spell on loan from Liverpool with Carlisle in 2017 saw seven appearances under Keith Curle.

Four of those came in the league, George keeping a clean sheet in a 5-0 win at Crewe after a 2-0 defeat at Coventry and 1-1 draw with Barnet, when his long clearance led to a spectacular goal by Shaun Miller.

The 23-year-old's last league outing for United saw two errors by the keeper in a 2-0 home defeat to Stevenage.

George later returned to Liverpool after fellow loanee Jack Bonham was recalled by Curle.

He had a loan spell with Tranmere in 2018/19 and a stint with non-league Marine last season before being released by the Anfield club.

George is not the only player who could face his former club tomorrow, with United’s Brennan Dickenson reunited with the club where he spent three seasons.

The Blues attacker made 93 appearances and scored 15 goals from 2016-19.

Colchester midfielder Ben Stevenson, meanwhile, is also set to miss tomorrow’s game through injury.

Saturday’s game was their first under the interim management of Brown, who was drafted in after last week’s sacking of Steve Ball.

The defeat left the Us fourth-bottom, seven points above the relegation zone.