Seven games left now for Oxford United, and I reckon they need to win five of them to reach the play-offs.

Four wins, two draws and a defeat might do it for them, depending on who the wins, and the defeat, come against.

But what it clear is that the U’s need to keep their improved form going, and they cannot afford more than the odd slip.

Said midfielder Josh Payne: “These are a big seven games, and I think we’ve got to treat them as seven Cup Finals.”

Payne returns to the starting line-up because Paul McLaren is sidelined after needing seven stitches in an ankle injury.

Fellow midfielder Simon Heslop added: “Seven games left and 21 points – that’s a lot of points to play for.

“But our results have generally been good against the top teams.

“We went to Wycombe and gave a very good performance, and that gave us a lot of confidence, and gives us the belief we can go to any of the leading sides and do well.”

The encouraging thing for United is their record away to the top sides.

Chris Wilder’s team have not lost on a visit to any of the top eight sides.

They have won 2-1 at Chesterfield, 2-1 at Port Vale and 4-3 at Torquay, and drawn 0-0 at Wycombe, Stevenage and Gillingham.

Oxford are averaging 54 per cent of available points per game against top-eight opponents, and 52 per cent against the bottom eight!

The U’s lost 2-1 to Bury at the Kassam Stadium in their first home match back in the Football League in August.

Bury looked a decent side then, but United were unlucky to come off the pitch without anything.

Ryan Lowe scored The Shakers’ winner that afternoon 11 minutes from time, and he has gone on to hit 23 goals this season, making him the division’s leading marksman, two ahead of Chesterfield’s Craig Davies.

For Wilder, it’s a return to his old club, but there will be no reunion with Alan knill, who has now moved to Scunthorpe.

“I spent a real short period there, six months, and I enjoyed working with Alan, and my relationship with him,” Wilder said. “It’s a friendly club, they do things the right way.”

Bury had a number of players suffering from illness last week, when they managed to hold out for a 0-0 draw at Port Vale, who struck the woodwork three times, but they are understood to have recovered from the stomach bug.

Steven Schumacher, sent off in the second half against Vale for a second yellow card, is suspended tomorrow.

Bury’s home record is not something to strike fear into the opposition.

They have managed just 27 points out of 54 in front of their own fans, only three points more than Oxford have managed away.

They are also without a win in their last four games.

l UNITED will be training at Premier League Stoke City later today on their way up to Bury.