OXFORD United will have no intention of putting men behind the ball and stifling West Bromwich Albion tonight, according to head coach Michael Appleton.

The visitors head to the Hawthorns for the Capital One Cup second round tie rock bottom of Sky Bet League Two, fully 80 places below their Premier League hosts.

But Appleton, pictured, will stick to the principles he learned during a decade as Baggies player and coach as he attempts to mastermind an upset.

He said: “The way we do things, we’re not set up to go and frustrate and keep it tight.

“I know they have to have a bad night and we need to have a good night, but you never know.”

United will have to make one change, with on-loan goalkeeper George Long unable to play in the competition.

Max Crocombe will come into the line-up, as he did in the 2-1 first round win at Bristol City.

Appleton is considering making a couple of changes and David Hunt, another who played at Ashton Gate, may come in at right back, while new signing Will Hoskins is expected on the bench if he is registered in time.

West Brom manager Alan Irvine travelled to Morecambe to scout United and will play a strong side.

He said: “I know what Oxford’s results have been like this season, but they did win in the cup.

“When I watched them last week at Morecambe they played extremely well and I will approach this as a first-team game.”

The hosts have a wealth of options, with club record signing Brown Ideye, a £10m acquisition from Dynamo Kiev, set for his first start.

TONIGHT’S SQUADS

West Brom: from Myhill, Wisdom, Dawson, Olsson, Davidson, Baird, Yacob, Roofe, Sessegnon, Brunt, Ideye, McAuley, Gamboa, Dorrans, Gardner, O’Neil, Berahino, Samaras, Foster.

Oxford Utd: from Crocombe, Hunt, Mullins, Wright, Newey, Collins, Meades, Riley, Hylton, Brown, Morris, Rose, Hoskins, Jakubiak, Potter, O’Dowda, Ruffels, Raynes, Cavanagh.

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