Joe Kinnear's determination to strengthen Oxford United could see a free-scoring Jamaican international arriving at the Manor Ground next week, writes Jon Murray.

United's director of football says he has put the wheels in motion to get the 6ft 4in striker, believed to be 26-year-old Onandi Lowe, over to Oxford, and he may well sign him.

Lowe, who plays for Jamaican club Rhinos, has scored six goals this season in World Cup qualifiers against El Salvadore, Honduras and both matches against St Vincent.

"Firoz (Kassam) has given me carte-blanche to strengthen the team and I've got four irons in the fire," Kinnear told me after training yesterday.

"I've got a player who was playing for his country, Jamaica, in a World Cup qualifying tie in El Salvador last Thursday, hopefully coming in next week.

"He was winning his 27th cap. And in his previous 26 international games, he's scored 24 goals," Kinnear said.

"Of course, you don't know what the standard of the opposition is like, but I've heard good reports about him from my contacts."

Kinnear added: "He's with a club over there and has never played in Europe, so he's basically untried, but we could get him because he has played 75 per cent of his country's internationals. We'll be flying him in on Sunday."

Kinnear has been working hard at other deals too, taking in several games this week including a Premier Reserve League game between Tottenham and Ipswich on Tuesday in which there was reportedly 20m worth of talent on view.

"We are planning ahead," he insisted. "I have already tied up our next two loans for when the current two (Keith Andrews and Keith Brown) run out.

Andrews will be missing from United's first-ever visit to Macclesfield tomorrow in the FA Cup, because Wolves do not want him Cup-tied. His place in midfield will be filled by one of Paul Powell, Simon Weatherstone, Dean Whitehead and Lee Jarman.

**The draw for the first round of what used to be called the Auto Windscreens Shield will be made at 10am tomorrow.

The competition is regionalised and for the first time, eight Conference clubs will be involved.

**Oxford United have won Sky's Performance of the Week award for their 2-1 victory at Swansea, and the management will be presented with a trophy before setting off for Macclesfield today.