PHIL Trainer and Billy Turley could be set for dramatic returns to the Oxford United side against Crawley on Saturday.

Both players, who were outstanding last season, have missed the start of this campaign through injury.

But Turley may come in for his first game, after being on the bench at Kidderminster last Saturday, and Trainer could be in line to play against the Blue Square Premier leaders, after having just 60 minutes for the reserves.

Turley's experience will help the U's, though both Jake Cole, who has now returned to QPR, and Ben Hinchliffe, have done well.

It's felt his shoulder is now completely recovered and does not pose a risk any more.

And Trainer too feels his broken metatarsal is now healed.

The former Moor Green midfielder said: "It was great to be back, getting 45 minutes under my belt in the reserve game at Kidlington on Wednesday night and I felt good.

"I felt I could have played longer – maybe a couple more matches and I could play 90.

"It's been frustrating watching and not being able to be out there and help the lads. I think pretty soon it's going to click and we'll start climbing the table.

"I didn't want last season to end really. I scored a few goals and was looking forward to going into pre-season and then the season proper, and to carry it on. But these things happen, you've just got to get on with it.

"It was the fifth metatarsal, right in the middle of the wide spot of the bone, but it's healed well."

U's boss Darren Patterson hasn't yet confirmed who will start on Saturday, and it could be that Trainer is on the bench.

He says striker Jamie Guy is only "50-50" after having little training time this week.

But he was relishing the prospect of Trainer returning.

"I've got to credit our outgoing physio that Phil and Billy have come back sooner than we expected," he said.

"It's a credit to him and a credit to the players. We've had to take a gamble on Phil. Everything's gone well and we just told him to get involved (at Kidlington), to run around and not tackle anybody!

"We've done a lot of work with him today with no ill-effects. I've got to be honest, he'll have to come into contention for Saturday because of the numbers we've got.

"We're desperate for his quality back in the team, it's as simple as that."