SWEDISH goalkeeper Paul Lundin has been put on stand-by for Oxford United's vital Division 1 relegation game at Crewe tomorrow after on-loan keeper Paul Gerrard injured a thigh in training.

Manager Malcolm Shotton, already without Martin Gray and Joey Beauchamp through suspension, and Brian Wilsterman, who has been in hospital to have blood drained from a bruised thigh, now has injury doubts over Christophe Remy, Paul Powell, Paul Tait and Gerrard.

Powell pulled out of playing against the Isle of Wight on Monday after starting to feel his troubled ankle during the kick-in.

Tait has picked up a hamstring injury in training, while Gerrard's thigh

injury is serious enough to convince Shotton that he needs to take Lundin to Gresty Road as cover.

Remy has been out with a calf injury since the defeat at QPR on March 3.

"Of them all, Christophe's the one who looks least likely to make it," Shotton said. "We're hoping the others will be OK but it's quite a worry because we're down to the bare bones as it is." Last week, United's players complained of feeling leggy and tired after their 0-0 draw at home to Watford, so Shotton has made sure they have done much less in training this week, and he knocked on the head yesterday's normal Thursday morning session in the gym.

"We've been trying to keep them bright and I'm sure they'll go up to Crewe and do themselves justice.

"The Isle of Wight trip was a very worthwhile exercise in taking the pressure off and hopefully they'll get their just rewards on Saturday."

With Gray out, Matt Murphy is expected to drop back into midfield, allowing Kevin Francis to return to the attack. Beauchamp's absence will give another chance to Nicky Banger.

United won 3-1 at Crewe in the FA Cup third round in January, yet since then, Crewe have been able to re-sign the skilful Danny Murphy on loan from Liverpool while the U's have lost their top scorer Dean Windass to Bradford.

"I'm sure Oxford will miss Windass but they've still got some good players and are strong at the back," said Crewe's manager Dario Gradi. "They beat us at our place in the FA Cup, so they're going to be tough, whatever their off-field problems are. "It's not a must-win game any more than others we have got left.

"I feel there are teams at the bottom that have been losing and will continue to lose, and if we can get a little run together, we will put pressure on them."

However, Gradi was being more philosphical when he conceded: "If Oxford are better than us on Saturday then maybe we'll have to accept we are a relegation team."

Crewe kept their first clean sheet since December 12 when drawing 0-0 at home to Grimsby in midweek, following successive wins at Bolton and Swindon. But of all the clubs near the bottom, they have the toughest run-in.

MARTIN Gray received a one-match ban and was fined £200 when he appeared before an FA disciplinary committee at Lancaster Gate yesterday to explain how he had accumulated 11 bookings this season.

He will be back to face Sheffield United next Friday.

ELLIOT Jackson has joined Conference club Stevenage Borough on loan until the end of the season, but will continue to train at the Manor Ground.

Story date: Friday 19 March

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.