PAUL Tait returns to the Oxford United squad for today's Division 2 game at Cambridge for the first time since sustaining a hairline fracture of his tibula against Luton last October, writes JON MURRAY.

He is likely to start on the bench. Skipper Jon Richardson will return to the defence, providing he shows no ill-effects of his first training session for two weeks yesterday.

However, club captain Peter Fear, who began the midweek game at Peterborough on the right side of midfield before switching into the middle, has been ruled out after getting an accidental kick on a leg from one of the youngsters in training.

Said U's boss David Kemp: "There's every chance Taity will be involved, though he probably won't start.

"As I've said before, we need some help, and that means any 'new' players we can find."

For Kemp, it will be like having a new player. The only time he has seen ex-Birmingham City midfielder Tait was in Wednesday's Avon Insurance Combination reserve team game at Gillingham, where he scored a fine goal.

"I'm hoping to have Rico (Richardson) back," Kemp added. "He disappeared to the training room two weeks ago, and I haven't seen him since!"

With Fear out, Chris Hackett looks favourite to return on the right wing.

Cambridge manager Roy McFarland is mulling over whether to recall 11-goal top scorer Tom Youngs, who has missed most of the recent action since picking up a virus over New Year. He returned for one match but was too weak to contibute much.

If Youngs is fit, the striker may form part of a three-man attack with Paul Connor, on loan from Stoke, and Richard Logan, a 19-year-old on loan from Ipswich, in a 4-3-3 formation.

Cambridge have lost their last two home games, 2-0 to ten-man Bournemouth, and 1-0 to Walsall, and after just two wins in 18 games, the pressure is starting to mount on them.

Oxford, 11 points from safety and having played more games than many of their rivals, may ironically start to feel less pressure because their task of staying up looks near-on impossible.