AFC TOTTON fans will have to wait a while to see the Stags’ pedrigree summer strike signing Justin Bennett.

The Stags kick off the new campaign on Saturday at Highworth Town, who finished third in the Hellenic Premier last term, before entertaining Moneyfields on Tuesday (7.45pm).

But Bennett, who has been named club vice-captain, won’t feature until mid-September at the earliest.

Bennett, Gosport Borough’s all-time record goal scorer, joined the Stags from Oxford City in the summer having missed the whole of last season with anterior cruciate ligament damage.

“We knew when we signed him that he wasn’t going to be fit for a while, but it was a risk we were willing to take,” said Stags manager Louis Langdown.

“He’s training and doing everything apart from contact stuff.

“He’s due to see the surgeon for the all-clear on September 12, but he’s got to feel comfortable about putting himself in.”

Bennett – described by his new boss as “a legend of non-League” - is one of a handful of experienced players tasked with helping the younger element along.

Attacking midfielder Stuart Green has just picked up the golden boot at Salisbury, while Langdown feels that combative midfielder Liam Crook deserves the step up from Wessex League football with Hamble Club.

“Apart from Dave Allen, we lost all our experience with Nathaniel Sherborne and Ian Oliver retiring,” said Langdown.

Aldershot Town loan pair Matt Bozier and Jack Barker are back with their parent club, Alfy Whittingham has joined Hungerford Town permanently, winger Curtis Young has climbed a division with Wimborne, Tony Lee has joined Gosport Borough, via Weymouth, and defender Sam Roberts is now a Winchester City man.

On the plus side, Eddie Perrett, another signed from Salisbury, looks like making the left-back slot his own and Totton have welcomed in young frontman Tom Bearwish on a dual-signing from Eastleigh and 17-year-old Christos Papakonstantinou, a bright spark currently studying with the Saints Foundation.

Highworth have already played two competitive matches this season, losing out 2-1 to Windsor in an FA Cup replay.

“This will be their league first game at this level and no doubt they’ll put it all out there,” said Langdown.

“We’ve had them watched and we know how they play, but the most important thing is to concentrate on us.”