Oxford United striker Jamie Cook is looking for personal revenge of a sort on Tuesday night – after being on the end of a thrashing at Mansfield Town last month.

Cook, who will be aiming to help United stretch their unbeaten start to the Blue Square Premier season to 12 games, said: “At Crawley we played our first game of the season there and got hammered 4-0.

“We weren’t good, but they played well and looked a good, solid, strong team that day, so it’s going to be a big challenge for us.”

Although accustomed to rollickings the team would get from boss Steve Evans when he was at Crawley, Cook probably didn’t expect to get one at the weekend from U’s manager Chris Wilder after he had scored in the 4-0 win over Eastbourne Borough.

But he said: “It was completely justified. What the manager said was spot on and we needed a kick up the backside.

“We’ve got to prepare right for the Mansfield game, and approach it right.”

United will give a fitness test to left back Kevin Sandwith, who went over on his ankle, while right back Damian Batt had to see an emergency dentist because of a tooth problem.

But Wilder expects both to be available for selection.

In any case, he has Adam Chapman who can fill in for Batt, while Steven Kinniburgh returns from a one-game ban following his red card at Wrexham.

In contrast, the Stags have some problems with ex-U’s striker Rob Duffy ruled out by an ankle injury, and left back Craig Armstrong a doubt because of a hamstring strain.

Striker Kyle Perry completes the second of his three-match ban for his red card for violent conduct against Stevenage, while midfielder Gary Mills saw red in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Rushden & Diamonds, and is also banned.

Wilder says that his blast at the players after Saturday’s win is now water under the bridge.

“That’s gone, though not forgotten,” he stressed. “I had my say, but it won’t linger on.

“I’ve got no axe to grind, I just needed to remind the players what we have to do to keep being successful, and what has got us where we are.

“Let’s face it, what a start we’ve had!”

TUESDAY NIGHT’S SQUADS

Mansfield Tn: (from) Marriott, Silk, Jones, Garner, Armstrong, Briscoe, Nick, Somner, Williams, Speight, Sturrock, Clare, Graham, Istead, Gardner, Sandercombe.

Oxford Utd: (from) Clarke, Batt, Foster, Creighton, Sandwith, Bulman, Murray, Clist, Green, Constable, Cook, Turley, Potter, Kinniburgh, Midson, Perry.