JOE Bennett has hit an important milestone in his recovery from an ankle injury.
The 34-year-old left back has been unavailable for Oxford United since suffering the injury during the first half of the 3-1 win at home to Preston North End on August 31.
He is expected to return to first team action after mid-January, and reached a landmark moment in his recovery at United’s training ground yesterday.
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U’s head coach Des Buckingham said: “Joe Bennett got a round of applause as he jogged round the field for the first time since his injury, so he’s back out on the grass.
“He’s with the medical team still and he will reintegrate with the sports science team after he’s passed on through the medical, and then the idea is at the moment that if everything goes well, mid-January as a return to training and a return for selection.”
Bennett started each of United’s opening four Sky Bet Championship matches of the season, playing the full 90 minutes of the first three prior to picking up the injury during the win against North End.
In total, Bennett has played 26 times for the U’s, with 22 of those starts, since joining the club initially on a short-term deal last November.