KARL Robinson says Oxford United are open to using the free agent market.

The U’s can still sign out of contract players following the closure of the summer transfer window on Thursday.

United are light in several positions, with six members of the first-team squad sidelined through injury, while Djavan Anderson was the only deadline-day arrival.

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And Robinson said the U’s would explore the option of signing a free agent to bolster their ranks.

“That has to be the question: who is available and how many minutes have they played?,” United’s head coach said.

“I can’t really comment on what we want to do from here, I think it’s a bit unfair on players who are unattached and people we’re speaking to.

“I don’t want to say 100 per cent that we’re going to use that market – we might use it, but we might not.

“We do have a little bit of frustration with how the last day of the window went – and we weren’t the only ones - but not the whole window.”

The U’s secured the signing of Lazio right back Anderson, subject to a work permit being granted, but they were chasing other additions in the final hours of the transfer window.

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Robinson said: “There was one we did really late on, but another player they had got injured in training that day.

“There were so many things that went against us.

“The top teams didn’t do their deals, which means the Championship didn’t do their deals and we don’t do ours.

“That’s because of the World Cup, everyone’s trying to hold as many players as they possibly can up until the right time.”

Wigan Athletic left back Tom Pearce is another player understood to have been on United's radar on deadline day, as per a report by The Sun journalist Alan Nixon today.

While the U’s were hoping for more incomings, loan moves for Jodi Jones and Oisin Smyth did not materialise.

Both players need game-time, but Robinson thought it was best to keep them at the club with United short on numbers.

He said: “Oisin Smyth has got to work hard to get in the team and we couldn’t let Jodi go with the ones that didn’t work.

“We were always convinced it would have happened, but we had to pull the plug on that one as well.

“We have to think of ourselves, we care about the players 100 per cent but every now and again we have to be a little bit selfish.”

Meanwhile, United’s injury woes continue as Matty Taylor and Steve Seddon missed yesterday’s win over Burton Albion with groin and ankle issues respectively.

READ MORE: Karl Robinson issues Matty Taylor and Steve Seddon injury update

It means the U’s have six players sidelined, even though Marcus Browne returned from a knee problem against the Brewers.

But Robinson is hopeful three members of the treatment room will be available again shortly.

He said: “Josh Murphy will be back on the grass this week, Sam Baldock was out running on Friday.

“Elliott (Moore) hopefully won’t be too far away depending on his scan results this week.

“There are a lot of positives still to come and a lot we hope we can build on.”