Resurgent Oxford United looking to provide Christmas cheer at an empty Kassam Stadium

Oxford United take on AFC Wimbledon on Boxing Day, with the Yellows looking to extend their four-game unbeaten run in League One.

A late Covid-19 tier change in Oxfordshire means that the Kassam Stadium will not be able to welcome 2,000 supporters as initially planned, but Karl Robinson’s side will still be looking to provide a repeat performance of the convincing 4-0 win over Northampton Town last time out.

Robinson and his players were denied the opportunity to continue their recent upturn in form last weekend, as a trip to Bristol Rovers was postponed after an outbreak of the virus in Rovers’ squad saw the match postponed.

The victory over Northampton was only Oxford’s fifth league win of the campaign, as last season’s Play-Off Finalists have struggled to adapt to the loss of star defender Rob Dickie after his transfer to QPR, and the absence of midfielder Cameron Brannagan due to a long-term eye injury.

However, the win was a welcome follow-up to impressive draws against promotion chasers Ipswich and Hull, and a creditable point picked up away at in-form Blackpool, as the Yellows’ improved performances have seen them pull away from the relegation zone and up to 17th in League One.

Talismanic striker Matty Taylor bagged a brace against the Cobblers to take his tally to seven for the season, and he will be looking to add to it against a Wimbledon team that has kept just four clean sheets in the league so far this campaign.

Glyn Hodges’ side make the journey to Oxford on the back of a last-minute defeat to Crewe at the new incarnation of Plough Lane last weekend.

The loss meant Wimbledon are now on a four-game winless run, stretching back to their victory over Peterborough at the start of December.

The Dons have been fairly inconsistent all season, failing to string together consecutive wins but also never losing more than two on the bounce, leaving them 15th in the table.

They do possess League One’s second top-scorer in Joe Pigott though, with the former Charlton forward reaching double figures with a penalty at Sunderland in their last away game.

The emotional return to their spiritual home of Plough Lane following almost 30 years away has been the highlight of Wimbledon’s year so far, after just about surviving in the third tier when it was decided by points-per-game at the end of last season.

Oxford beat Wimbledon on penalties at the Kassam in the first round of the EFL Cup in September and won 5-0 when the sides met in the league back in February, extending an unbeaten home run against the Dons that stretches back to October 2016.

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Oxford captain John Mousinho was forced off at half-time of the Northampton game after a knee injury that ruled him out for six weeks earlier in the season flared up again.

The defender had been managing the problem with a plan to undergo surgery at the end of the season, and whilst his manager has said no further damage has been done, it is unlikely he will be risked against Wimbledon.

More promisingly, both Sam Winnall and Cameron Brannagan played a part in an in-house practice match last week as they look to build fitness ahead of a return to action.

Winnall has been out with a hamstring injury that he suffered during the 2-0 home defeat to Crewe in November but is now ready for a return to the matchday squad.

Brannagan is available for the first time in over two months after recovering from an eye inflammation that saw him spend time in hospital.

AFC Wimbledon currently have a fully-fit squad to choose from, although midfielder Alex Woodyard is suspended for the Boxing Day fixture after he picked up his fifth booking of the season against Crewe.

Oxford United manager Karl Robinson spoke about fans no longer being able to attend the Boxing Day fixture:

“It’s a double-edged sword.

“Football is not above the virus, and we appreciate and respect that. We want this to be a safe place to live, to work, and for people’s lives to continue past this stage (the pandemic). If we’ve got to go into a lockdown and play without fans, we will do that. People’s health and well-being is more important than winning to us.

“But speaking as a football manager, and a person who loves doing his job, we’re worse without them (fans).”

 

AFC Wimbledon boss Glyn Hodges briefly spoke about what has been going wrong for his side recently:

“The players are giving us everything on the pitch, but they are making elementary mistakes that we’ve covered and covered.

“It looks like we’ve got to cover them again. It’s disappointing that we can’t move on as we have to go through old ground as the mistakes keep reappearing. We have to be able to trust that they can do the job when they go out on the pitch. They can do it, but switching off is proving costly.”

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