Promoted Oxford United face their toughest test so far in tomorrow’s League Two local derby at Wycombe.

Their opponents, big-spending Wycombe Wanderers, were made favourites for promotion.

They splashed out £125,000 – a big amount at this level – on ex-Cambridge United striker Scott Rendell from Peterborough, who scored 13 times on loan at Torquay last season.

Manager Gary Waddock also forked out £25,000 on centre half Dave Winfield from his old club Aldershot.

Winfield missed the Chairboys’ Carling Cup defeat against Millwall, and their 0-0 draw at Stockport last Saturday because of a hamstring injury, but is expected to be back in contention to face Oxford.

They are already strong defensively, as two clean sheets from their first two league games emphasise.

The Chairboys beat Morecambe 2-0 at home on the opening day, and drew 0-0 at Stockport last Saturday.

Mind you, goalkeeper Nikki Bull had to be in top form at Edgeley Park, pulling off a string of fine saves.

The feeling at Wycombe is that, in addition to a solid defence, when they click going forward, League Two defences will struggle to live with them.

They deservedly took Championship side Millwall to extra time, before going down 2-1 in their Carling Cup tie.

United manager Chris Wilder said: “I’m not trying to put any pressure on anybody for them to win, but I do think they’re going to be a side that will be up there come the end of the season.

“They’ve got the right balance of a manager who knows his business, and players at the right age who are good, and with players to come off the bench.

“The people they’ve got involved, with Gary and Martin (Kuhl) . . . they did a great job at Aldershot and won the Conference at a canter.

“I know how they set their teams up, they try and play – but they want to win as well.”

So United’s defence can probably expect to come under even more pressure than they did at Burton.

“Yes, but saying that, that might open it up for our forwards,” Wilder said.

Midfielder Dannie Bulman, a member of the Wycombe side that reached the FA Cup semi-final in 2002, is looking forward to returning to Adams Park for the first time since he left six years ago.

He reflected: “That Cup run was all down to momentum . . . we kept it rolling and got to the semis.

“Against Liverpool we went 2-0 down, got a goal late on and chucked the kitchen sink, chucked everything at it, but that was the way it ended.

“I think the whole town went up to Villa Park – everyone came out of the woodwork. I had about 100 people there, it was a good day.

“When I left we got relegated, but circumstances were a bit different then. They’ve gone down again but could go straight back up – they’ve got a good team.

“They seem to be a sort of yo-yo club between Leagues One and Two, so I'm sure they’ll be strong. They’ve been up to League One before, so I’m sure they’ll be hoping to do it again.

“But I’m sure if we play the same as we did last Saturday and just cut out the silly mistakes, the set piece goals and things, we’ll get a result along the line.”

‘Bully’ missed training at the start of the week with a whack on the hip but has recovered and is fine to play.

“The mad man doesn’t need any fitness work because he can run for England anyway!” Wilder said.