Joe Bennett: Cardiff City left-back suffers knee ligament injury

Cardiff City defender Joe Bennett looks set for an extended spell on the sidelines with a knee injury.

Boss Mick McCarthy said Bennett was “not in good shape” after he was stretchered off during the Bluebirds’ 4-0 win over Derby on Tuesday.

Left-back Bennett, a regular in the Cardiff side, went down unchallenged.

Cardiff say scans show Bennett, 30, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and that he will now see a specialist.

“When someone goes down like that and doesn’t move, you know they are hurt,” McCarthy told BBC Sport Wales after the Derby game.

“He’s not good. I’m not a doctor or a surgeon but he’ll be assessed tomorrow. He’s not in good shape anyway.”

Bennett, who joined Cardiff in 2016, is out of contract at the end of the season.

In Bennett’s absence, academy graduate Joel Bagan is likely to see increased playing time.

“I’ve got absolutely zero worries about Joel Bagan. He’s very unfortunate that he’s got such a good player and experienced player in front of him. Joe’s vastly experienced and a good player, but Joel has got big things ahead of him and is terrific,” McCarthy added.