OXFORD United are down to the bare bones for their Division 1 match at relegation-threatened Port Vale tomorrow.

Paul Powell has had a virus all week and young players Tony Wright and Rob Folland, who might otherwise have been set for a place on the bench, have joined him on the sick list.

With Kevin Francis in St Kitts-Nevis - and he too has been ill - Phil Whelan not yet match-fit and Stuart Massey and Mike Ford now joined on the sidelines by Christophe Remy, United boss Malcolm Shotton has few options.

Nicky Banger and Matt Murphy look certain to start together up front for the first time and Jamie Cook will continue on the left side of midfield.

For Banger, making his first start under Shotton, this is his big chance.

He was boiling up inside last Saturday because he thought he would start against Norwich and was only a sub - but he then burst on to the scene and earned a points-clinching penalty.

Mark Angel, with just one reserve game since returning from a bad thigh injury, could now be one of the subs.

Frenchman Remy suffered a badly bruised lower back in United reserves' 3-0 defeat away to Crystal Palace on Tuesday but it's hoped the injury will only keep him out of action for a couple of weeks.

Goalkeeper Derek O'Connor, who played in that match as a triallist after being released by Huddersfield, has gone back to Yorkshire.

Almost every team United have faced in the past few weeks have been fighting for their lives to try to avoid the drop - and Vale will be no different.

Manager John Rudge believes Vale need three wins from six games to stay up but they have a tough run-in.

Their other home games are against Charlton and Middlesbrough and they go away to Birmingham, Ipswich and Huddersfield.

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