New signings Tom Craddock and Josh Payne could feature for Oxford United as they take on Morecambe tomorrow at the Kassam Stadium.
Both Doncaster midfielder Payne, on a one-month loan, and Luton striker Craddock, on a permanent deal, joined the club on transfer deadline day, and Payne featured as the U’s went out of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy at Aldershot on Tuesday night.
First team regulars Harry Worley, Simon Heslop, Asa Hall, Dannie Bulman and Jack Midson could all be recalled to the starting eleven after missing out on the Shots game, while Alfie Potter, Mitchell Cole and Simon Clist will also be in the reckoning. Damian Batt and Rhys Day remain unavailable through injury.
Morecambe have only two points to show from their opening four League Two fixtures, exiting the Carling Cup at the hands of Burnley and the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy 1-0 to Macclesfield. Sammy McIlroy’s Shrimpers last visited the Kassam in January 2007, earning a 0-0 draw in the season they won promotion into the Football League. Important striker Phil Jevons is expected to return to the side after sitting out the game in midweek.
U’s boss Chris Wilder is still searching for his side’s first league win of the season, and said: "We made changes in midweek and three of arguably our most influential players missed out, Asa, Simon and Beano. That obviously affects the team but nonetheless I was disappointed to lose the game because we did enough to get our noses in front, especially in the first half. But we move on to league action. It's a big game and one we're really looking forward to. We feel we have a good chance of getting our first win of the season."
The singing of 23-year-old striker Craddock should help the U’s find the net more regularly than they have this season, with United failing to score in five of their seven games this campaign. "We all look at it and anyone who has seen us knows we create bundles of chances,” said Wilder. “Tom's goalscoring record is first class and first and foremost he is a great character. I know a lot about him from watching Middlesbrough's reserves and Luton over the years.
“He has a great attitude, wants to learn and wanted to come as soon as we made our interest known. He is a good player and scored goals as a kid, at reserve level and then at senior level over a sustained period. Goalscoring is an art and it's something we need to be better at. We haven't scored enough goals so we need competition up there and I'm delighted that Tom has joined.
"If a centre half doesn't head the ball he puts his place in jeopardy, that is a big part of their game. It's the same at the other end of the pitch. We are not a mug side, we are creating plenty of chances but need to be more clinical. Like everybody else Tom comes in and will find his feet and no doubt the fans will give him a great reception. If he hits the ground running that's great, but he will score goals, there is no doubt about that in my mind. We just need to keep doing the right things. If we do that then the first win is just around the corner."
The arrival of central midfielder Payne has also given Wilder more choices in the middle of the park. "There are decisions to be made but I am happy with the players we have brought in,” he said. “Josh is a good player and we felt we needed to be better on the ball in the middle of the park and Josh will hopefully come in and do that. We have really good competition in there for that position."
