PREPARATIONS for tomorrow’s game continued as normal at Oxford United yesterday, but talk of coronavirus meant there was an air of uncertainty.

As things stand, the clash with Milton Keynes Dons is scheduled to go ahead as planned.

What happens next is anyone’s guess as clubs across the country wait for guidance.

In the meantime United will focus on keeping their Sky Bet League One promotion push on track, but talk of the outbreak was never far from the surface.

“You can’t not think about it, can you?,” said striker Matty Taylor.

“It’s everywhere at the minute, every time I turn on the TV it’s being talked about.

“It’s out of our hands.”

So far the changes to English football have been minor, but habits are beginning to change.

Also read: Oxford United calculate financial hit if coronavirus measures are stepped up

Last week both players put up for pre-match media duties came in and immediately shook our hands before realising such greetings had been discouraged.

Yesterday saw a variety of fist-bumps, elbow-bumps and even bowing.

Taylor said: “We’ve bought into it and it’s almost the rule now.

“I know we stopped the handshakes before the game the other week, but then you completely forget after the game. It’s habit and you have to almost think twice about it.”

One thing which is clear from a playing perspective is everyone prefers a suspension to playing behind closed doors.

“Football’s nothing without a crowd,” Taylor said.

“It would feel like a reserve game.

“There would be no emotion, if you win a corner you wouldn’t get that roar, if you scored you wouldn’t get that same feeling.”

Karl Robinson believes it is a question of when, rather than if, precautionary measures are taken.

Also read: Matty Taylor named League One player of the month

The U’s boss also subscribes to the idea of temporarily halting the fixture list.

And with the majority of sides in League One having just nine games left, it is a schedule which could be fitted into a month.

He said: “It will create a different challenge, but we showed in February we could play nine games in a month.

“We’ve proved it can be done.

“I think this weekend’s game will be fine, but I think there will be a behind-closed-doors fixture next week while everyone takes stock.

“I think it’s inevitable if you read what’s gone on over the last 48 hours.

“There’s an international break at the end of the month, so why don’t we all just have one from now and we’ll reconvene after that?”

The international schedule in a fortnight looks likely to be heavily hit.

Mark Sykes has been called into the Northern Ireland squad for the trip to Bosnia, but the hosts have now requested for their Euro 2020 play-off clash to be postponed.

The U’s attacker said: “I saw online that they’re speaking about taking precautions, but there’s been no word on it to me.

“I believe our health is the most important thing before football.

“If it’s going to affect us then it probably has to be done, but it’s not ideal.”