Walsall wait on Liam Bennett

Bennett had started the last 16 games on a season-long loan from Cambridge and has been consistent in defence.

But he was missing from the line up that beat Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 if the FA Cup on Saturday, with Brandon Comley taking his place.

With Cambridge in Cup action yesterday afternoon against Curzon Ashton, it is thought they didn’t want him cup-tied and manager Michael Flynn said it was their prerogative to refuse permission but admitted it had given him a problem for the next game, at Carlisle.

He said: “Liam is on loan and Cambridge were still in the Cup so that’s why he didn’t play.

“But it has given me a problem for next week, albeit a nice one, because after the performance do you change that side?

“Liam has been great for us, he just wants to play football and I’m glad I’ve been able to give him the chance to do that. He has grabbed it with both hands and could have been a real miss at Wycombe but it was out of our hands, What will happen in January with Liam, we will have to wait and see.”

Meanwhile, Irish-Under-21 international Oisin McEntee finally made his Walsall debut after joining the club from Newcastle United in June.

McEntee made the briefest of appearances, replacing Hayden White deep into injury time.

The New-York- born 21-year-old suffered a shoulder injury when on international duty in a game with Bosnia and Herzegovina in June and hasd yet to be seen in a Walsall shirt until Saturday,

Boss Flynn added:”It’s been a long road for him, he’s worked hard to get back to fitness. He was unlucky because it was a freak injury when he was away.

“But credit to him and the physios for getting him into a position where he is challenging to be part of the starting line up.”