The injury that the left back suffered in United’s 3-1 win against Preston North End will rule him out until the end of the calendar year, therefore the decision was made to cut Bennett from the squad.
It’s a cruel blow for both player and club, with Bennett starting all four Sky Bet Championship games so far this season.
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Head coach Des Buckingham wants his full backs to be solid defensively first, and attack-minded second.
That’s why Bennett, arguably the better defender than Greg Leigh, was first choice left back.
Leigh offers more going forward, and is certainly a bigger goal threat. His six goals last season, and one already this campaign, prove that.
But with no Bennett, and after summer signing Jack Currie had already departed for Leyton Orient on loan, and cannot be recalled until January, it leaves Leigh as the only U’s left back for the rest of 2024.
Buckingham and his coaching staff will no doubt be sweating over Leigh while he’s away on international duty with Jamaica, and looking to wrap him in the proverbial cotton wool between now and the turn of the year.
If United were to be without Leigh, then Ciaron Brown would look the likeliest option to play at left back, having done so for much of the 2022/23 campaign, a season in which he scooped both the men’s players’ player of the year and the Andrew Knapton supporters’ player of the year.
It wouldn’t be an unnatural fit for Brown to play at left back, but centre half is undoubtedly the position where he excels.
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Other possibilities for the U’s might be slotting Sam Long, Ben Nelson or Jordan Thorniley in at left back, or even switching to a three-man defence.
In that case, left-footed midfielder Louie Sibley, or left-footed wingers Malcolm Ebiowei and Przemyslaw Placheta might be asked to play left wing back, although it’s a position where the right-footed Matt Phillips has played before, and he would probably be the likeliest candidate.
The other absentee from United’s squad was goalkeeper Simon Eastwood, behind Jamie Cumming and Matt Ingram in the goalkeeping department.
Having been with the U’s since June 2016, after an initial spell during the 2010/11 season, Eastwood will have wanted the chance to represent United in the Championship.
He’s a team player though, and will no doubt continue to play his part as third choice keeper, whether that be in training, or his influence off the pitch.
The understanding is that young goalkeepers Eddie Brearey and Jacob Knightbridge, both Under-21 players, can be recalled from their loan spells, so in the event of an injury crisis, they can be added to the squad, as an unlimited number of Under-21s are allowed.
Although Currie cannot be recalled until January, as he is at a Football League side, both Brearey and Knightbridge, on loan outside the EFL, can be recalled if desired.