OXFORD United have been handed a triple fitness boost ahead of their clash at home to Middlesbrough tomorrow.

Midfielder Cameron Brannagan, plus wingers Matt Phillips and Przemyslaw Placheta, have all returned to training and should be in contention to make the squad this weekend.

Brannagan hasn’t played since mid-September due to a knee injury, while Phillips and Placheta haven’t played since the end of August.

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U’s head coach Des Buckingham said: “We’ve got a few returning, which is pleasing. I think we saw at the start of the year and probably the first 10-game block, when we have not full availability, but certainly full depth to be able to call upon, we’ve shown the type of football we want to play.

“We should be able to welcome back into the squad Cam Brannagan, Shemmy Placheta and Matt Phillips as well to complement what we already had before we went away.

“We spoke about building depth, and we said that would be tested. We didn’t expect it to be as tested as quickly and as deep as it has been so early in the season, but the pleasing thing is we’ve put a good account of ourselves across in the games.

“That’s the depth of the squad that we have, but we’ve also shown at the start of the year, certainly at home, we’ve taken the game to teams.

“How important those players that have been missing are because whether they start or come on, it allows us to continue playing a certain way.

“What we’ve had to do is come away from that in the recent games. We’ve changed shape a little bit, and it takes some time to get where you would like it to get, but the players adapted to it really well.

“To welcome people back just gives us a lot more choice and options to have.”

Buckingham added: “It’s one thing having players back fit and available, but it’s another thing them being match fit.

“We don’t have a reserve team here at the moment, and those players are going to have to regain their match sharpness and fitness through the games programme that is coming, so it’s going to be very important, certainly for those that are returning, that we manage their minutes.

“But equally as important, the ones that have been playing back-to-back, it’s important we manage those that have been doing that because we want all of them available.

“We’ll work very closely with the medical team and the sports science team, and we will as a collective come to a decision on what we think is the right thing.”