JAMES Constable seems certain to be recalled to Oxford United’s starting line-up at Lincoln tomorrow – if the game goes ahead.

A pitch inspection will take place at 3pm today after staff and volunteers cleared the snow from Sincil Bank.

With Tom Craddock suspended after picking up a fifth yellow card in last Saturday’s 2-1 win over Barnet, Constable would probably have started anyway.

But his fine performance in coming on as a 55th-minute substitute against the Bees cemented his case.

United manager Chris Wilder said: “His attitude’s been fantastic, he’s a vital member of the set-up down here, and he showed he’s definitely a team player.

“He grabbed the headlines, made a difference to us, and whatever (formation) we go with, he’s put himself right back in the picture again.”

Temperatures in Lincolnshire have risen, though Lincoln City said on their website yesterday that they still had not climbed sufficiently high enough to stimulate a thaw.

But they were not expected to drop significantly below freezing overnight, which is why they began the process of removing the snow.

“Parts of the playing surface and surrounding areas in and around the stadium remain frozen and therefore we have put a request in to the Football League for a pitch inspection on Friday afternoon,” Lincoln said in a statement.

Clubs cannot cancel a fixture themselves. Only the Football League and/or a designated official can make the final decision.

United have agreed to travel on the day to give the fixture the best possible chance.