Ben Tozer has expressed his fear that Northampton Town manager Aidy Boothroyd has lost trust in him following the club's poor start to the campaign.
The 23-year-old defender, who played 46 league games for the Cobblers last season, was sent out to Colchester United on a short-term loan deal last week.
"I deserved to be dropped at the beginning of the season," Tozer told BBC Essex.
"I played well away [at Hartlepool on 23 November] then got dropped for the Tuesday [versus Chesterfield]. Maybe [Boothroyd] didn't trust me then on.
"I get on really well with Aidy and I haven't got a bad thing to say about him. I'm sure he hasn't got a bad word to say about me, either. It's difficult but I'm willing to work hard to get back in the team, or to get in the team [at Colchester]."
Tozer signed a new two-year deal at Sixfields during the summer.