Oxford United striker Craig Davies wants to check with Brian Talbot whether he's in the new manager's plans after learning he has been given the No 12 shirt for next season.

Davies, who has given up on the idea that he might be heading to Premiership club Charlton, says he wants to know if he's being thought of as a substitute or will have a regular starting place in the League Two campaign which begins on August 6.

The senior United players report back for pre-season training this Thursday, and Davies will join those preparing for the traditional grind of fitness training in baking hot sunshine after hearing no more about Charlton's reported interest in him.

"I'm travelling down from the north on Wednesday night to my beautiful Oxford 'pad' and am gearing up for starting training again on Thursday," Davies said.

"Nothing's happened with Charlton, I'd have been informed if it had been.

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm going to be at Oxford next season and I'll be fighting hard for my place.

"I've learned that I've been given the No 12 shirt in the squad numbers list and I'm disappointed by that, to be honest.

"The shirt's obviously been made available because Paul Wanless has left, but I want to check with the manager that I'm in his plans.

"I want to be playing games and the No 12 makes it sound like you're going to be a substitute all the time. I don't see myself as a substitute."

The Wales Under 21 forward wore the No 30 shirt at the Kassam Stadium last season when he experienced a meteoric rise from youth-team player to earning a call-up for the full Wales squad for a training camp get-together in Spain.

Davies added: "The 9 and 10 shirts are with Steve Basham and Lee Bradbury, who had them last season, and I can understand that.

"But I'd rather have kept the No 30, it was like a trademark for me.

"When I went away with Wales I didn't do myself any harm, I more than stood my ground, according to everyone I have talked to.

"And now we've got big games coming up, against Slovenia and England, so I want to be noticed by John Toshack.

"I just want to be playing, wherever it is, it wouldn't do me any good if I was on the bench all the time."