The former Arsenal youngster has missed the U’s last five league and cup matches with the problem but was back on the Florence Park training pitch on Thursday, ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Northampton Town.

Smith’s return to training comes after Colchester did not have a recognised goalkeeper on the bench for their 2-1 win at Chesterfield on Tuesday night, with 16-year-old back-up Oscar Roberts not making the trip to Derbyshire.

The U’s are continuing to monitor Smith carefully because of the recurring nature of the former Arsenal youngster's quad problem.

The 24-year-old has been able to complete his handling work without any issues, with Colchester now assessing how much longer-distance kicking he can safely undertake.

Shot stopper - Colchester United goalkeeper Tom Smith back in training (Image: Richard Blaxall)

U’s boss Danny Cowley said: “Tom has trained today [Thursday] – we just have to be careful.

“When it’s a reoccurring muscle strain, you have to be a little bit careful.

“We’re erring on the side of caution.

“He’s trained and he’s done all of the handling – it’s just how much exposure we give him to the longer distance kicking.”