SWINDON Town look set to receive a double injury boost ahead of Saturday’s trip to struggling Colchester United.

The Swindon Advertiser understands that Raphael Branco returned to training this week and will be available for selection for this weekend’s visit to the Colchester Community Stadium.

The tall 25-year-old central defender missed Town’s last two games – a goalless draw at promotion-chasing Gillingham last Saturday and 1-0 defeat at Port Vale on February 2 – with a groin problem but should be fit to face the U’s in Essex.

Meanwhile, County Ground chief Luke Williams has also revealed that midfielder Louis Thompson is set to make his fourth Town debut against Colchester.

Following last weekend’s draw with Gillingham, Williams revealed that Thompson, who rejoined his boyhood club on loan from Norwich City for a third time on the final day of the January transfer window, would be back in training this week after a knee injury.

The 21-year-old has seemingly recovered ahead of schedule, with Williams confirming that Thompson will be thrust back into the fold against Kevin Keen’s Colchester.

“Louis Thompson is prepared to play with a broken leg, so we’ve got to make sure that he’s 100 per cent but he’s good to go,” the Swindon boss told BBC Wiltshire.

“We’re in good shape. Other people in the squad have got normal aches but nothing that is going to stop them.”

However, Yaser Kasim’s injury situation appears more severe, with the Advertiser revealing on Thursday that the midfielder suffered a grade two tear in his medial collateral ligament against Gillingham.

Kasim is expected to be out for six-to-eight weeks but Williams says a full prognosis is yet to be finalised.

The Town manager added: “It could be far less of a problem than we thought but we’re taking it more seriously than anything else.”