Dave Challinor will assess the fitness of Josh Hawkes ahead of Saturday's FA Cup tie after the midfielder was forced to sit out the New Year's Day defeat to Harrogate Town.
Hawkes has been suffering pain in his groin and there is a
concern around a potential hernia so the Club's medical staff will treat him
carefully and a late decision will be made about his inclusion this weekend.Luke Molyneux came off the bench for the final fifteen
minutes of the game against Harrogate to make his first appearance of the
season following ankle surgery and he is likely to be in the travelling party
on Saturday.Luke James is out with a groin problem and Luke Williams is
still recovering from a hamstring issue, while loan men Mark Shelton and Gary
Liddle are both cup-tied so won't feature at The Kassam Stadium.Oxford boss Karl Robinson is working to try and bring in at
least one new signing ahead of Saturday's FA Cup Third Round meeting with Pools,
with a winger and a midfielder reportedly on his radar.Midfielder Cameron Brannagan won't be available to Robinson
this weekend as he nurses a knee injury which kept him out of their New Year's
Day defeat at Doncaster Rovers.Chris Cadden is another who won't be in opposition to Pools
at the weekend - his loan spell with The
U's has now ended and the Scottish international has returned to parent club,
Columbus Crew.Click here for information on buying tickets for Saturday's FA Cup tie.