This week’s Oxford United weekly round-up focuses on the off-field antics, with the U’s not in action in the past seven days. Despite the lack of game time, plenty was going on off the field in the last seven days.
Plenty Going on Off the Field in Oxford United Weekly Round-Up
Oxford United Youth Players Suspended
At the start of the week, Oxford United suspended two youth players pending an investigation into allegations that they attended a New Year’s Eve party.
Senior figures at the club had called for the duo, who featured for the U18s and U23s respectively, to be sacked. A decision is yet to be made.
In more positive news, midfielder Cameron Brannagan spoke of his delight about returning to the field for the first time since October when Oxford eased past Burton Albion.
“I was made up to get on the pitch. The only frustrating thing was that it wasn’t for longer,” Brannagan said in an interview with the club after making a 15-minute substitute appearance.
Mandatory Testing Results in One Positive Case
U’s boss Karl Robinson has previously called for the EFL to introduce mandatory coronavirus testing and on Monday, all 72 clubs did just that.
From the 44 tests at Oxford, just one member of staff tested positive and is now self-isolating as per government guidelines.
Monthly Nominations and Transfer Rumours Begin
On Wednesday, Robinson was shortlisted for the League One Manager of the Month while Jack Stevens was shortlisted for Player of the Month.
Robinson led the U’s to an unbeaten December, which included three wins and three draws. Of the six games, Stevens kept four clean sheets and conceded just three goals. However, neither would claim the award by the end of the week.
Elsewhere, the Irish Sun reported that Oxford had been monitoring St Patrick’s Athletic defender Luke McNally. However, the 21-year-old has also attracted interest from League One rivals Lincoln City and Ipswich Town.
The rumours continued on Friday when the U’s became linked with West Ham United winger, Nathan Holland. The 22-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Grenoble Road, where he scored three goals from 12 outings.
Having recovered from a hamstring injury – which ruled him out of the U’s League One playoff run at the end of the season – the winger is also attracting interest from Hull City.
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