STEVE Anthrobus is set to return to Oxford United's starting line-up against his old club Shrewsbury Town in tonight's FA Cup second-round replay at the Manor Ground (7.45).
Boss Mickey Lewis is keen to get ten-goal top-scorer Matt Murphy back in midfield where, facing goal rather than having his back to it, he poses a greater goalscoring threat.
And one of the ways he can do it is to start with Anthrobus up front, now that the former Crewe man is fully fit.
It was Anthrobus's introduction as a second-half substitute which helped bring United back from the dead to force a 2-2 draw in the first match at Gay Meadow ten days ago.
But the player who scored twice for the Shrews that afternoon, Scottish striker Steve Kerrigan, is out. He will be missing for six weeks after knee surgery.
United, unbeaten in seven games, believed they would be without their Scottish left wing-back Neil McGowan. But his groin muscle injury is not as bad as first feared when he hobbled out of Saturday's 0-0 draw at Chesterfield, and he was able to train yesterday under the supervision of physio John Clinkard.
McGowan's chances of playing are rated 50-50. If he fails to make it, Paul Powell will return.
With Murphy back in midfield and skipper Les Robinson likely to slip back into defence to give United a more attacking midfield at home, someone will have to drop out of the back line. It could be Steve Davis or Phil Whelan, even though both played well at Saltergate.
Yet Lewis is not afraid to make tough decisions and, on the evidence of his first few games, he seems to have the Midas touch.
Shrewsbury boss Kevin Ratcliffe's first signing, the former Wimbledon forward John Gayle, is ineligible, as is Dean Spink, currently on loan from Wrexham.
The tie has to be settled on tonight, so there's the provision for extra time and penalties should the scores remain level.
The winners face a trip to first division Nottingham Forest in the third round on Friday, December 10.
UNITED striker Kevin Francis is set to make his first appearance of the season for the reserves at Portsmouth tomorrow.
Story date: Tuesday 30 November
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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