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MK Dons host red-hot Oxford United at Stadium MK in League One, with both teams looking to respond quickly to midweek defeats.
Earlier in the season when the two sides faced off, Oxford ran out 3-2 winners in a pulsating match. At the time, both sides were floundering at the wrong end of the table and were occupying two of the four relegation places, but since that match, both have been the subject of major squad overhauls and the form changes have been remarkable.
The Yellows have only lost twice since December with those coming against promotion rivals Doncaster and Portsmouth, the latter on Tuesday night, falling to a 1-0 defeat.
In their last 15 matches, the U’s have amassed 31 points and sit top of the League One form table. Amid this run, they managed to accrue a club-record seven successive victories, taking them from a basement battle to a strong contender for a Play-Off position for the second consecutive season.
MK have been in superb form recently themselves, racking up seven wins from their last 11 matches, carrying themselves into the top half of the table.
Martin’s men though were given a reality check by Shrewsbury on Tuesday night, conceding three times in the opening 20 minutes and suffered a 4-2 defeat, giving away two calamitous penalties in the process.
Although currently residing in 13th position, the Dons supporters are paying more attention towards the top than the bottom of their league positioning.
Having made crucial signings in the last transfer window, Martin was able to oversee a total of 14 transfer moves in and out of the club, overhauling the playing staff and bringing in younger, unproven talent that completely changed the make-up of the squad balance.
In the match itself, MK will also be welcoming back former manager Karl Robinson, who led the Dons to their greatest ever result, hammering Manchester United 4-0 back in August 2014.
Robinson, who managed the Dons in seven campaigns, will be hoping to get the better of his former employers and keep his side progressing, moving up from eighth place in the table.
For either side to come out victorious, both will be heavily reliant on their strikers to keep firing in the goals given the strength in defence of their opposition.
The hosts will be reliant on Cameron Jerome continuing his fine form, having netted ten times already this season, whilst ably supported by Scott Fraser, with nine goals, and Will Grigg, who has scored twice in his first four games since re-joining the Dons recently on loan from Sunderland.
Matty Taylor has been by far and away from the leader of the attack, scoring 11 times this season and picking up two assists to boot. Olamide Shodipo, who joined from Queens Park Rangers for the season, has found the back of the net eight times himself and the 23-year-old will be looking to keep his good form continuing.
The home supporters will be incredibly pleased to see their talismanic central midfielder Scott Fraser return from injury after the 25-year-old sat out Tuesday’s loss at Shrewsbury Town. With Louis Thompson and David Kasumu still a little further away from a return, the pair remain alongside Kieran Agard and Jay Bird in the treatment room.
Oxford, however, only enter the match with one noticeable absentee, after Marcus McGuane suffered a season-ending thigh injury in recent weeks. There remain doubts over John Mousinho’s availability but the match may arrive a little too soon.
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