SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown expects Luke Prosser to ease his defensive crisis by returning to training later this week.

Prosser missed Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Luton Town after injuring his calf in training the day before the game.

But Brown is sure the centre-back will soon be back in action.

“Luke suffered a slight calf strain in training on Friday and I thought he was a huge miss for us out there,” said the Blues boss.

“We’re hopeful he will be back in training before the end of the week and then also be available for the game against Exeter on Saturday.”

Blues will certainly need Prosser back fit as fellow centre-backs Mads Ibenfeldt and Cian Bolger and have also been forced on to the sidelines.

Ibenfeldt has suffered a broken foot, while Bolger had to taken off just before the break at Kenilworth Road after a nasty head wound left him suffering concussion.

“We suffered a real black Friday with Mads getting injured as well as Luke,” said Brown.

“Mads went to hospital and found out he had a hairline fracture on a meter tarsal bone in his foot.

“Cian suffered a nasty head wound quite early on. He’s had to have seven or eight stitches on it but he initially passed all the tests on concussion and that’s why he went back on.”

After returning to the action, Bolger made a huge mistake in the build up to Luton’s second goal.

But Brown refused to put that down to the defender’s head injury.

And he insisted the defeat was caused by more than the centre-back’s error.

“There are no excuses but it’s the group’s mentality that’s lost us the game not Cian Bolger,” added Brown.