
The Northern Ireland international’s season-long loan at Bristol Rovers in League One was cut short earlier this month due to a hamstring injury, and he is presently recuperating.
Once the 20-year-old left-sided player has fully recovered from his injury, he is expected to join Danny Cowley’s team and play the remainder of the current season at JobServe Community Stadium.
Ben Goodliffe’s loan move to Southend United and Aaron Donnelly’s exit have left Colchester seeking to strengthen their defensive options.
The U’s are seeking reinforcements in that area, according to manager Cowley’s remarks over the weekend.
“Central defense is about relationships, partnerships, and having the right players play together,” he stated.
“We would like to bring a left footer in because we need four in that position and it’s such a specialist position.”

Forbes joined Bristol Rovers on loan from West Ham last summer and played in 12 games.
Two of them starts and seven of those appearances were in League One.
Forbes has played seven times for the Hammers’ under-21 side, in the Football League Trophy.
He has been at West Ham’s academy since the summer of 2020, having played for Ardboe, Cookstown Youth and Dungannon Swifts in his native Northern Ireland.
Forbes made his first senior appearance for West Ham in their Conference League encounter against FCSB later that year after signing his first professional contract with the Hammers in May 2022.
In the 2023–2024 season, he inked a new contract with the Hammers that would last until June 2026.