Every team in every division suffers injuries throughout the season, but Oxford United are without seven first-team players.
Since Des Buckingham took over the club at the end of November, he had two key defenders and two wingers missing through injury. While the two wingers returned, they are back on the sidelines along with a further three more players.
Oxford United Injury Crisis
Defence
Liam Manning’s final league game in charge came away at Lincoln, and this is where defender Sam Long picked up an ankle injury. Fin Stevens has covered well but it leaves the U’s light at right back.
In the other full-back position, Greg Leigh has been a big miss. The Jamaica international picked up a calf injury while playing for the Reggae Boyz and has been absent since. It meant centre-back Ciaron Brown had to switch over the left-back before the U’s signed free agent Joe Bennett, who has turned out some impressive displays.
Someone who had featured at centre back with Brown covering on the left was Stephan Negru. The youngster played in the early parts of the season before being rotated but he has since been sidelined with a hamstring injury, leaving Buckingham with fewer choices for the position.
Midfield
In the middle, James Henry has only recently returned to action but top scorer Billy Bodin has replaced him in the treatment room.
The Welshman was “nursing a slight niggle” but he hasn’t featured in the two recent games against Northampton and Cambridge respectively.
Wingers
Marcus Browne picked up a hamstring problem at Barnsley in August while Kyle Edwards picked up the same injury in training in September.
Browne made a return in an FA Cup clash against Grimsby but managed just 12 minutes before being replaced. Edwards played 25 minutes in Buckingham’s first game at Cheltenham before 45 in the following game against Bolton before picking up another knock.
With those two sidelined, it gave Josh Murphy the chance to impress. The winger put in a string of positive displays before he was replaced at half time in the recent game against Northampton. He then failed a late fitness test ahead of the win over Cambridge.
