COLCHESTER United might be struggling to get out of first gear this season, but the international call-ups keep rolling in.

Carl Marston

COLCHESTER United might be struggling to get out of first gear this season, but the international call-ups keep rolling in.

Both winger Medy Elito and defender Chris Coyne will be unavailable for the next couple of U's fixtures, at Gillingham tonight in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, and at Cheltenham in the league on Saturday.

Promising 18-year-old Elito has only started one senior game this term, the 1-0 win in the previous round of the Trophy at Millwall, but he is establishing himself in the England Under-19 set-up.

Initially on stand-by for England's series of round-robin fixtures in Northern Ireland, he was yesterday called up to the squad.

Over the next week or so, he will be hoping to figure in games against Albania, Northern Ireland and Serbia.

Meanwhile, Coyne left for his native Australia over the weekend.

The ex-Luton skipper has been unable to hold down a regular place in the U's defence, but he has still been named in a big 35-man squad for the Socceroos World Cup Asian qualifier against Qatar, to take place in Brisbane on Wednesday week.

He has made five appearances for his country this season.

GILLINGHAM: Julian, Fuller, Mills, Richards, Nutter, Bentley, Southall, Weston, Jarrett, S Jackson, Barcham, King, Pugh, Lewis, Wynter and Royce.

COLCHESTER UNITED: Gerken, White, Reid, Heath, Ifil, Yeates, Izzet, Hammond, Perkins, Gillespie, Vernon, Jackson, Platt, Borrowdale, Wordsworth, Wasiu, Baldwin and Cousins.