Oxford v Accrington preview
Monday 20 August 2018 12:42, UK
Oxford are set to be without Rob Hall and Ricky Holmes against Accrington.
Winger Hall missed Saturday's 4-1 defeat at Portsmouth with a swollen knee. Sheffield United loanee Holmes was also absent at Fratton Park after receiving an injection for a back problem.
Simon Eastwood and Samir Carruthers are ruled out until the autumn.
Accrington will check on the fitness of Billy Kee. The striker has been carrying a foot injury and was taken off early in the second half against Charlton on Saturday.
Stanley could otherwise be unchanged from the side which earned a creditable 1-1 draw. Erico Sousa is expected to miss out again because of a thigh injury.
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This will be the first ever league meeting between Oxford and Accrington at a level above the fourth tier of English Football.
Oxford have won three of the last five home league meetings (L2) but did lose in their most recent clash at the Kassam Stadium in February 2016 (1-2).
Oxford last lost their opening four games of an EFL campaign back in 2014/15 under manager Michael Appleton.
Accrington have won five of their last seven league games away from home (L2), including their last such match at Bristol Rovers (2-1) in their first ever away game in the third tier of English football.
Oxford Boss Karl Robinson is looking to avoid suffering four straight defeats as a manager for the first time since March 2017, when in charge of Charlton.
