MICHAEL Appleton has urged Oxford United to make sure they are in a position to take advantage if Brentford fall short tonight (7.45).

The U’s are outsiders to progress, but they did win at Bristol City in last year’s first round and were only knocked out by West Bromwich Albion on penalties.

Appleton believes if his side stay in the game for the opening half-hour they have a chance of causing an upset.

The U’s head coach said: “We go in with a real open mind and knowing if they’re not 100 per cent we’ll be looking to win the tie.

“If you think back to the game at West Brom, in the first 20 minutes we showed them far too much respect and from then on I thought we were magnificent.

“It’s managing those first 25 minutes from a belief point of view.

“If you’re still in it at that point the belief grows.

“We’re more than capable of doing it, but you have to turn up and get the job done.”

Appleton plans to make changes from Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Crawley Town.

Patrick Hoban and Callum O’Dowda are among those pushing for starts, but the tinkering will be minor.

Appleton said: “There’s not going to be wholesale changes, I think it can be quite dangerous doing that so early in the season.”

New Brentford boss Marinus Dijkhuizen is expected to make half a dozen changes, but Josh McEachran (foot) and Marcus Tebar (hamstring) are ruled out.

TODAY’S SQUADS

Brentford: from Bonham, Yennaris, Bjelland, Barbet, Bidwell, Kerschbaumer, Udumaga, Williams, Vibe, Gogia, Hofmann, Gray, O’Connell, Jota, Diagouraga, Judge, Tarkowski, Dean, Button.

Oxford Utd: from Slocombe, Baldock, Mullins, Wright, Skarz, Roofe, Sercombe, Rose, O’Dowda, Hylton, Hoban, Taylor, MacDonald, Ruffels, Ashby, Long, Dunkley, Crocombe.