COLCHESTER United head coach Steve Ball says they could add more new faces to their squad before the transfer window closes.

The U’s have already brought in Martell Taylor-Crossdale, Tommy Smith and Shamal George this summer, ahead of the new League Two season.

The window is due to close on October 11 and boss Ball says there is a chance that there could be further transfer movement - both in and out of the club - before that deadline.

He said: “We’re always looking to strengthen and that’s a continuous thing that we do.

“It’s a continuous process looking at recruitment with movement in, movement out.

“We’re in the window so obviously that’s going to happen.

“If I can add, great; if not, I’ve also got a great group to work with.

“We receive calls, we put calls out.

“There’s been contact about certain players that we have, which is very much the case in the transfer window.

“If it’s right for us, we’ll obviously make some movements but if it’s not, we won’t.”

Colchester began the 2020-21 season with a Carabao Cup first-round tie at Reading, last weekend.

They are in action again tomorrow night at Portsmouth in the EFL Trophy, before kicking off the new League Two campaign with a trip to play Bradford City, on Saturday.

Ball says he has been pleased with the way in which his players have performed since he took over from John McGreal as head coach, in July.

He said: “It’s been a process over pre-season and we’ve got a really good group, this year.

“We have a mixture of young and old and I think there’ll be an opportunity for new players to come in.

“As far as knowing my starting XI, I think that will be a process as we go into the season but hopefully, we’ll have a very competitive group.

“I worked with John (McGreal) for four years and it was brilliant.

“We kind of share very similar sort of ideas on the game.

“Like anything, I’m going to have my own views on certain things, which I’m trying to implement.

“Again, it’s going to take a certain amount of time to really bed them in.

"But the early signs are really nice bits of play, in and out of possession that I’m working on that are showing up really well.”