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Oxford United face young guns


Chris Wilder will wait on the fitness of defender Jake Wright before naming his team to play a Manchester United XI at the Kassam Stadium tonight.

Wright was substituted at half-time in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Championship side Leicester after suffering a back spasm.

And the former Brighton man, who was on loan with Oxford last season before signing on a permanent deal in the summer, will not be risked if he is not 100 per cent.

Wilder is likely to field a similar side to that which played Leicester, and he knows that his players will have to be on top of their game – even if they are facing a team of youngsters.

“Manchester United do not give out contracts to just anybody,” Wilder said. “You have to be a real talent and a special player to earn a deal there, and so whoever they put out will be a very good player.

“But we will go out there and give them a real game.

“We did very well in the second half against Leicester and now the bar has been raised that bit higher.

“It’s a great game to be involved in because you never know who might turn up. And if they are all kids, one of them might just be a special player that goes on to big things and we can all say ‘I remember when he played against Oxford United’.”

With the first-team squad away on tour in America, Manchester United are likely to field virtually all their youth side managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

But there is still the option of fielding one of their World Cup stars in their first friendly, as they did with Cristiano Ronaldo four years ago.


Jake Wright (front) suffered a back spasm against Leicester City Jake Wright (front) suffered a back spasm against Leicester City

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