Oxford make their first trip to Griffin Park for nearly ten years in the Capital One Cup tonight - kick-off 7.45pm. If scores are level after 90 minutes, a further 30 minutes of extra time will be played. If there is still no winner, then the tie will be decided by penalty kicks.
Round Two will be played in week commencing 24 August.
Oxford's season so far
Oxford began their Sky Bet League Two campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to Crawley Town on Saturday. The visitors took the lead in the 56th minute before last season’s top scorer Danny Hylton equalised nine minutes later.
Manager Michael Appleton has signed eight new players this summer, with three coming from the Academy at The Kassam Stadium. New signings Liam Sercombe (Exeter City), Kemar Roofe (West Bromich Albion), Sam Slocombe (Scunthorpe United), George Baldock (on loan from Milton Keynes Dons) and striker Ryan Taylor (Portsmouth) all made their debuts on Saturday. Academy graduates Robbie Cundy, AJ George and Freddie Grant will have to wait for their chance in later games.
Through the out door, Appleton has released eight players, as he tries to steer Oxford back into the third tier of English football for the first time since 2001. This is their sixth season in League Two after gaining promotion from the Blue Square Conference in 2010, where they spent three years as a non-league club.
They have not finished higher than eighth since their return to the Football League. After tonight’s game, Oxford will play Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.
The Gaffer
Michael Appleton was appointed Oxford United’s manager in July 2014, replacing Gary Waddock. The former Manchester United midfielder had to cut short his playing career due to injury and then began his coaching career.
After being part of the backroom staff at West Bromwich Albion, he was appointed Portsmouth manager in November 2011. He left Pompey to take the manager’s role Blackpool a year later. Appleton was then made manager of Blackburn Rovers after just two months at Bloomfield but left after only 67 days on 19 March 2013.
His 54 games in charge at Oxford have yielded 17 wins, 20 draws and 17 defeats.