The U’s were defeated 2-0 by League One opponents Leyton Orient in the Carabao Cup, bowing out in the first round.

Demetri Mitchell and Idris El Mizouni scored the two late goals after a tightly contested match saw the Yellows fall to a late loss .

Oxford were without Brian De Keersmaecker and Stan Mills at Brisbane Road with the two left out of the squad after missing training for some of the past week.

United kick off their league campaign next week at home to MK Dons.

“We’re disappointed with the result,” Ramsey admitted after the Orient defeat.

“We want to win games and it’s never nice losing them.

“If I take the game as a whole, I think we created some really good opportunities, just having that little bit more calmness and a clean final pass or shot, I think we could have executed that a bit better.

Aaron Ramsey says Stan Mills has trained on his own the last few days:

🗣️ “It was a medical decision for him to train over the last few days on his own to be able to re-join the group next week”#oufc 🟡

— malachi (@MalachiObrey) August 8, 2026

“But I’m not hiding behind the fact that my team…I want [us] to have a lot more control in the game and at times that did get away from us.

“But I said before that it’s not going to be perfect and it’s going to take a bit of time.

“I can’t hide behind the fact as well that the last five or six weeks have been really positive.

Leyton Orient beat Oxford United 2-0 in the Carabao Cup first round (Image: Oxford United)

“What I’m looking forward to now is that we’re in front of our home fans next week.

“We’re getting into the right areas and we are creating them chances, then I’d be more concerned if we weren’t.

“But we did today, we did it on a few occasions; it’s just about being clinical in that final third.

READ MORE: Oxford United player ratings in Leyton Orient cup defeat

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“We’re not getting too carried away when we win games like we have done in pre-season [and] we won’t get too low when we’ve lost games.”

The U’s started brightly in East London but were gradually restricted by Orient’s man-to-man marking.

Oxford must find a way to still pierce the defences of opposing teams.

🚨 Aaron Ramsey on Brian De Keersmaecker extended absence from the Oxford United squad:

🗣️ “Him and Stan were training back home and hopefully they can both join the group.

“They are two different cases where Brian hasn’t played any minutes. Stan has.

“Hopefully now next week…

— malachi (@MalachiObrey) August 8, 2026

“When teams do come man-to-man to us, it’s for us to recognise the press and play beyond there and then play off it.

“This is going to be good learning from this because we had the game last week against Ipswich, where I thought we were tremendous throughout the whole game.

“There’ll be plenty of things that we can look back on here. But also, in amongst that, there was some really positive stuff as well.

“We are going to be asked questions this season; there’s no doubt about that.

“I fully believe in the players and the way that we want to play.”

The Yellows conceded a late duo of goals scored by Demetri Mitchell and Idris El Mizouni to bow out of the competition against their League One opponents.

It was a well-contested match at Brisbane Road until late on, the two strikes providing a disappointing end to former Arsenal midfielder Ramsey’s first taste of competitive management with the U’s.

United began brightly, Aidomo Emakhu immediately working space in the box to cross but could only find Nathan Baxter’s grasp.

The winger got beyond his man soon after and put another ball in looking for Siriki Dembele who was beaten to it by former Yellows loanee Fin Stevens.

Dembele was bright in the first period, winning a free kick which Cameron Brannagan sent just over the crossbar.

Ciaron Brown headed at corner at the keeper before the hosts found some momentum.

🚨 Aaron Ramsey on Brian De Keersmaecker extended absence from the Oxford United squad:

🗣️ “Him and Stan were training back home and hopefully they can both join the group.

“They are two different cases where Brian hasn’t played any minutes. Stan has.

“Hopefully now next week…

— malachi (@MalachiObrey) August 8, 2026

Efforts from Isaac Hayden and Yusuf Akhamrich failed to bother Jamie Cumming, but a good cross from Somto Boniface was turned just wide by the arriving Zech Obiero.

Oxford were forced to be patient as the O’s restricted their passing lanes, eventually seeing a shot from Dembele fly over from outside the box.

A blocked effort from Boniface saw out a tightly contested first half.

Again, the U’s started brightly, Dembele and Brannagan combining well but Harris could not turn the captain’s cross goalward.

Boniface and El Mizouni fired off target for the O’s before Emakhu saw a powerful shot saved by Baxter.

READ MORE: Oxford United player ratings in Leyton Orient cup defeat

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Some space opened up on the front foot for Oxford through Emakhu and Harris, but both opted for the wrong options with the former failing to pick out the latter before the Welshman decided not to shoot in a good area.

The hosts, with the home advantage, began to fashion some late pressure.

The opener came with five minutes left on the clock, Mitchell improvising well to turn the ball in from a good cross.

A quickfire second saw the O’s secure the win, El Mizouni sliding the ball past Cumming from a low cross into the area.

Aaron Ramsey says Stan Mills has trained on his own the last few days:

🗣️ “It was a medical decision for him to train over the last few days on his own to be able to re-join the group next week”#oufc 🟡

— malachi (@MalachiObrey) August 8, 2026

The last-minute strikes saw Oxford bow out of the cup in the first round, with the League One opening day at home to MK Dons on the horizon.

Orient: Baxter, Stevens, Olowu, El Mizouni, Hayden, Dobra (Mitchell 70), Boniface (Morris 77), Akhamrich (Springett 70), Obiero (Wellens 83), Chinedu, Archibald (Kabia 70)

Oxford: Cumming, Spencer (Kioso 86), Long, Brown, Currie, McDonnell (Sibley 73), Brannagan, Emakhu, Goodrham (Elliott-Wheeler 73), Dembele (O’Donkor 62), Harris (Snowden 86)

Bookings: Stevens; Emakhu