Oxford Silver Machine's Australian ace Travis McGowan is raring to go for tonight's Skybet Elite League encounter with Belle Vue at Oxford Stadium (7.30).

Promoter Nigel Wagstaff was handed a boost with the news that McGowan will be fully fit for the clash and will take his place in the line-up as usual.

There was concern over the weekend after McGowan crashed out of last Friday's match against Poole Pirates in the first heat and took no further part in the meeting.

It was feared that he had broken a bone in his left hand, but after tretament at the John Radcliffe Hospital, McGowan received the all-clear.

Oxford will be missing one rider, however, because Niels-Kristian Iversen will be at the Danish final at Holsted.

Belle Vue are in a similar position as Kenneth Bjerre is at the same meeting.

With both sides missing one rider, rider replacement will be used by both teams.

The Aces are also introducing young Swede Tobias Johanssen, who makes his Sandy Lane debut.

Oxford still occupy fourth place in the table but another win tonight is vital if they are to stay in the top half.

The task will be anything but easy with the return of Jason Crump, who was Oxford's No 1 in 1998. He always puts in a sparkling performance around Sandy Lane.

There is added spice as it will be the first time Crump has come up against Oxford promoter Nigel Wagstaff since his protracted transfer to Belle Vue, which eventually had to be resolved via arbitration.

Oxford: Hancock, McGowan, Fisher, rider replacement, Iversen, Ulamek, Davidsson, Dobrucki.

Belle Vue: Screen, Johanssen, Svab, rider replacement, Crump, Jedryzak, Robson.