Ian Atkins is asking his Oxford United players to do something which the fans will find impossible - forget Swindon Town!

Ian AtkinsThe U's boss wants his players to ignore all the excited talk about next month's live FA Cup clash with derby rivals Swindon and get back to concentrating on picking up vital league points at Kidderminster tomorrow.

"We've got to be careful not to get distracted by Swindon - the main thing is the League," Atkins stressed.

"The players have to put the Swindon game to the back of their minds and concentrate on picking up six points, or at the least four points, from these next two Division 3 games against Kidderminster and Lincoln.

"Aston Villa and Rochdale were the best two games we have played for a long time before the Villa game, and it's important we get back to that."

Chairman Firoz Kassam seems not to have felt the same urgency to bring in a defender as many supporters, or even the United manager and many of their players. So it seems unlikely that Adi Viveash, or anyone else, will be signed in time for the visit to Aggborough Stadium.

Atkins is believed to have been looking also at Walsall's 31-year-old centre back Tony Barras.

Midfielder Dave Waterman will probably again be asked to fill in at the back.

"Dave did well there at Dover, but it remains to be seen whether he can do the same against league opponents who have much cuter strikers," Atkins added.

But a big boost for United is the return of key midfielder Bobby Ford after a groin muscle injury, if not to the starting 11, then to the squad and at the very least to the bench.

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