Oxford united FC
Millwall suffer injury doubts before Oxford United bout
Alex Neil’s side are hoping to secure a top-two finish on the final day of the season, with The Lions needing to win and hope that Ipswich Town, who are one point ahead with a superior goal difference, drop points at home to Queens Park Rangers.
Oxford, on the other hand, have nothing to play after relegation was confirmed before their last home game of the season against Sheffield Wednesday last time out.
The U’s put on a show at the Kassam and ran out 4-1 winners thanks to two goals from Tottenham Hotspur loanee Will Lankshear and strikes from Will Vaulks and Myles Peart-Harris.
Millwall struggled to a 1-1 draw with already-relegated Leicester City most recently, a 91st-minute equaliser from Macauley Langstaff rescuing a point away from home.
Striker Josh Coburn was forced off early against The Foxes whilst centre back Caleb Taylor has been missing since picking up a foot injury in his side’s win over Stoke City the game prior.
According to the Southwark News, Coburn’s availability against Oxford remains unclear.
“He’s doing okay,” Lions boss Neil told NewsAtDen.
“He landed awkwardly, so I don’t think that the gash is the biggest issue. We’ll see how he develops this week, and then we’ll make decisions.”
Taylor has been in a walking boot, which is precautionary according to the Southwark News, and a decision on him will also be made closer to Saturday.
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Despite the two possible setbacks, Neil does hope to have some returning faces in the fold for the final day.
“We’re going to have a few players back for this weekend.
“What the game time or involvement will look like is unclear at the moment, but I expect to have a couple of lads back in the squad.”
Midfielder Billy Mitchell and full back Alfie Doughty have both been out since March and April.
The U’s are looking to strengthen after their relegation from the Championship last season, with a new striker wanted by supporters after the return of fan favourite Will Lankshear to his parent club Tottenham Hotspur.
Chaplin spent last season on loan at boyhood club Portsmouth as the club survived in the second tier, the 29-year-old scoring twice and managing one assist in 40 appearances.
Meanwhile, his parent club Ipswich secured promotion to the Premier League by finishing second in the league only behind runaway champions Coventry City.
The Englishman was key in the Tractor Boys’ League One promotion-winning season where they finished second, Chaplin scoring 26 goals that year to win the division’s Golden Boot award, joint with Peterborough United’s Jonson Clarke-Harris.
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He was also awarded Ipswich’s Player of the Season award and included in the League One Team of the Season.
Chaplin then struck 13 goals in the Championship as the Suffolk side were promoted again, before suffering relegation from the Premier League the year after.
The attacking midfielder was released by Ipswich last month following their return to the top flight and SportsBoom are reporting that Oxford have ‘expressed an interest’ in signing the free agent.
With experience in the top tiers of English football and proof of goal scoring prowess in League One, Chaplin would be a sensible addition to the U’s ranks.
Tottenham Hotspur want £20 million for 21-year-old Will Lankshear and have turned down multiple bids for him, according to Hayters.
The ex-U’s striker, who was the club’s top scorer last term with 12 goals in all competitions, is highly rated by his parent side who narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League last season finishing two points above the drop zone.
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However, they haven’t ruled out selling him if the right offer comes in with Portuguese side Sporting CP reportedly interested.
In addition Spurs is also considering another loan move for Lankshear to a Championship club, although the London team is looking to fund a summer spending spree that has already seen a £52 million bid for defender Jan Paul Van Hecke accepted by Brighton.
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Lankshear has made three Premier League appearances for Spurs as well as scoring one goal in three Europa League features.
In a breakout season in men’s football, the England youth international became a fan favourite in OX4 for his tenacity and goal scoring success in a struggling Championship team.
The 21-year-old’s attitude off the pitch also endeared the fans to his name, with the player crediting the club as the place where it all began ahead of a hopefully successful career.
The U’s will play host to the Tractor Boys on Saturday, August 1, with kick-off scheduled for 12:00PM.
The fixture is the fourth pre-season friendly confirmed by the club and the first from a division higher than League One, where Oxford will compete next term.
United will face National League side Aldershot Town (Tuesday, July 21) and League Two club Barnet (Saturday, July 25) away from home before the welcoming of another fourth-tier outfit Crawley Town (Tuesday, July 28).
The U’s have also confirmed that tickets for the trip to Aldershot are now on sale.
Oxford played Ipswich twice in the Championship last season as Matt Bloomfield’s side suffered relegation whilst the Suffolk club were promoted to the Premier League, finishing second.
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Under former head coach Gary Rowett, the Yellows pulled off a shock 2-1 victory against Kieran McKenna’s men in OX4 in late November, Mark Harris and Przemyslaw Placheta scoring the goals.
They were defeated 2-1, however, in the second fixture, Will Lankshear scoring the only goal for the U’s at Portman Road.
The Tractor Boys are currently on the hunt for a new manager after McKenna stepped down last week in order to take a break from football management.
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