Bennett in fitness race AFC Wimbledon will check on Dale Bennett ahead of the visit of Rochdale. The on-loan Watford defender picked up a knee knock in the defeat at Northampton last weekend and is a doubt. Skipper Mat Mitchel-King could make a timely return to action if Bennett is ruled out. The centre-half has missed the last three matches on compassionate leave but returned to training this week, and although a planned run-out for the reserves was shelved when he suffered a knock in training he should be fit. Jim Fenlon (foot) proved his fitness in the reserves, fellow full-back Curtis Haynes-Brown (concussion) is due back in training and midfielder Rashid Yussuff (ankle) is close to returning. But Curtis Osano (ankle), Callum McNaughton (cruciate) and Jason Prior (broken leg) are still out. Rochdale boss John Coleman has no new injury worries for his club's first ever meeting with the Dons. Long-term absentees Luke Watson (knee) and Reece Gray (broken leg) remain on the sidelines along with goalkeeper Matt Edwards, who has a wrist injury. Skipper Peter Cavanagh returned from a calf injury to feature in last weekend's home game with Burton, and Coleman is demanding a reaction from his players following that 1-0 defeat to stop their promotion ambitions slipping away at an early stage. The former Accrington manager cancelled Rochdale's days off this week to put the squad through some hard yards in preparation for the trip to Kingsmead. He told Dale's official website: "Five points from five games is a horrible start and if you carry on that form and it goes to 15 games then you're out of the equation. "We've got to put it right quick. We owe it to ourselves and, more importantly, we owe it to the fans. They've had a torrid 12 months and they don't deserve what they're putting up with. They're getting taken from one extreme to another - we've played some great football this season and some abject stuff as well."
Source: PA
