No injured players to return until after international break

The U’s host Swansea City this weekend, and then Hull City on Tuesday night, before a trip to Watford on November 8.

The November international window then means United won’t be in action until November 23, when Middlesbrough make the trip to Grenoble Road.

It will be that clash against the Boro when U’s head coach Des Buckingham will be able to call upon some of his injured players.

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United currently have a number of first team players out with injury, including left back Joe Bennett, midfielder Cameron Brannagan, and wingers Siriki Dembele, Kyle Edwards, Matt Phillips and Przemyslaw Placheta.

In the 2-0 defeat at Sky Bet Championship leaders Sunderland though, Josh McEachran got another quarter of an hour to top up the 23 minutes he played from the bench in the draw at home to Derby County, when he returned after a month out with a groin problem.

Dutch right back Hidde ter Avest, signed in the summer following his exit from FC Utrecht, made his debut at the Stadium of Light, while Will Goodwin made a first appearance of the season, with both players coming on as a substitute.

Buckingham said: “We’re not going to welcome anyone back for the next game, but what we’ve been able to do is get some more minutes into Josh Mac [McEachran].

“He’d only trained Monday before playing Tuesday, so it was a bit of a risk to have started him.

“We’ve got some more minutes into him, so that puts him in contention alongside Will [Vaulks].

“Then we’ve got Hidde on for his debut as well. He’s been very patient, and it was an opportunity to get him on the field, but PK [Peter Kioso] is also carrying four yellow cards, so rather than him potentially pick up one and lose another player, we just made that decision at the end, so we’ve got a few players in better positions.”

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Buckingham was tight-lipped on which players might be the ones to return immediately after the international break, adding that potential setbacks can influence who might be back when.

He said: “We won’t be welcoming anyone back until after the November window at this moment. We’re expecting two or three back either straight after the window or very close to that.

“I’m not going to name names, and these things can change, but we’re hopeful that is the case.”

After the U’s welcome Middlesbrough on November 23, a trip to Sheffield United follows three days later, with United back at home against Millwall on November 30.

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