MICHAEL Appleton is calling on Oxford United to deliver at Shrewsbury Town today and arrest their slide down the table.
The U’s travel to Greenhous Meadow bidding to end a three-game winless run in Sky Bet League One.
Shrewsbury may be bottom and without a victory since the beginning of September but, like Oxford, enjoyed a moral boosting week in cup competitions.
The U’s, who sit three points above the relegation zone, face a side rejuvenated under new boss Paul Hurst and head coach Appleton knows they cannot be taken lightly.
But in such a tight league, the U’s are only five points off the play-off places and their boss knows they need to deliver the goods and be looking up, not down.
He said: “If you look at their last two games (Barnet and Middlesbrough) they have scored six goals and conceded none, so they have obviously reacted to a new manager coming in.
“We are under no illusions it is going to be a tough test and they are fighting for their lives.
“We don’t want to be dragged into a position that they have found themselves in at the minute – and to do that you need to win games.”
United do not need reminding of the last time they travelled to the league’s bottom side – a 2-1 defeat at Coventry City last month.
Appleton added: “I was really disappointed with the Coventry game. The first half performance was not what we come to expect from us.”
Liam Sercombe is expected to recover from the dead leg which forced him off against Chelsea in the Checkatrade Trophy.
Fit-again duo Ryan Ledson and Wes Thomas are in the squad, but Tyler Roberts and Benji Buchel are on international duty.
Shrewsbury have one injury concern, with former Oxford defender Joe Riley out for up to six weeks with a knee injury.
TODAY’S SQUADS
Shrewsbury Tn: from Halstead, Grimmer, El-Abd, Sadler, Brown, Deegan, Ogogo, Dodds, Whalley, Leitch-Smith, Toney, Burton, Lancashire, Smith, Black, O’Brien, Waring, Jones.
Oxford Utd: from Eastwood, Edwards, Nelson, Dunkley, Skarz, Sercombe, Lundstram, Rothwell, Johnson, Maguire, Hemmings, Crowley, Thomas, MacDonald, Ledson, Ruffels, Martin, Stevens.
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