OXFORD United must prepare for Saturday’s game as normal this week despite the huge prize on offer, according to Chris Maguire.

The final round of games in Sky Bet League Two sees the U’s as one of three teams chasing the two remaining automatic promotion places.

Michael Appleton’s men will claim one with a victory at a sold-out Kassam Stadium against Wycombe Wanderers, while any other result would open the door for Bristol Rovers, who are at home to relegated Dagenham & Redbridge.

It is an entire season’s work on the line, but Maguire thinks the key will be to keep the build-up identical to the previous 45 league games.

He said: “We’ll go into it like any other week and we’ll prepare properly.

“The manager and the staff do that and it will be no different this week.

“People might look into it too much knowing there’s a bit of pressure there, but we’ve just got to do what we’ve got to do.

“It’s no different to any other game and if we get that, then it’s party time.”

Appleton agreed it would be a mistake to change the routine at this stage.

The head coach said: “There’s no point me making the players any more nervous than they’re going to be when they go out.

“If I start doing things differently that will make them very nervous.”

Maguire has starred lately, when the pressure was on United to keep winning or face dropping out of the top three.

The former Sheffield Wednesday and Aberdeen forward calmly converted a penalty to put the U’s on their way to a 2-0 win at Carlisle United on Saturday.

This weekend’s game is one he will be relishing and thinks the squad’s senior players have a role to play in helping younger members of the side through what will be an intense occasion.

“Every player is different,” he said.

“I’m sure there will be boys in the dressing room who might have a few nerves in them.

“But I am the type of player who loves to play in the big games.

“It’s a young squad and the experienced ones like myself, Skip (Jake Wright) and Skarzy (Joe Skarz) have got to try to encourage as well.

“We try to take a lead and show people then I’m sure they will follow.”