Oxford United manager Denis Smith said that the team had to give the fans "something to cheer about', after learning that there are more passengers on the team bus than on the supporters' coach for tonight's match at Bury.

With United struggling both on and off the field, the London Road Club have managed to fill just 14 seats on the official supporters coach.

"I've never known anything like this," admitted ticket office manager Darren Bowler. "Even for Preston last week we had 40 on the supporters' coach. The travel club will make quite a loss on this game."

Smith was philosophical about the team's lack of support.

He said: "You have got to take into consideration that football is an expensive business and to get up here people have to take the afternoon off work.

"Obviously they are perhaps thinking our performances don't warrant it.

"You have got to be honest about it, but I am sure they will make plenty of noise and I am sure others will travel on their own. We have got to give them something to cheer about."

Meanwhile, Joey Beauchamp will today see the same specialist who treated Matt Elliott and Phil Gilchrist to see if an exercise programme can save his - and possibly Oxford United's - season. Beauchamp, the midfielder United rely on so much to create goalscoring chances, misses his fourth match running with a groin strain.

And Smith has confirmed that Beauchamp's problem is more serious than many supporters realise.

"We know how serious the problem is but we don't want to depress people too much, that's why we haven't announced anything," he said.

"He's booked in to see the same specialist that treated Matty Elliott's pelvic problem, and also Gilly's. Hopefully the specialist can devise an exercise programme which will help to get him back playing again. Matty played on with it, so we're quite hopeful."

Smith believes it's impossible to tell how long Beauchamp will be out. It could be three more weeks, or it might be much less.

"It came out of nothing so with a bit of luck it will go again quickly. He was running last Friday but on the Saturday he felt a lot of discomfort."

Smith added: "In the last few weeks I've lost three very influential players in Steve Davis, who organises my defence, Peter Fear, who can get a grip of the midfield, and Joey Beauchamp, whose delivery from set-plays is tremendous." But a boost for the U's is that Davis looks set to return to the side tonight, and he could take his place in a five-man defence.

"The selection for the bus is very easy," said United's manager. "I need 16 and I've got 16 fit players. So I don't have to do anything."

Davis replaces Jon Shepheard who has dropped out because of a slight Achilles problem. Paul Lundin did not travel so neither side will have a keeper on the bench.

Christian Edwards plays his final match on loan from Nottingham Forest.

"We're playing all right away. But I need to see what the mood is like because they obviously got a bit of a roasting on Saturday."

Oxford fans will be wondering whether it might be Paul Powell's

last game for the club with Thursday's transfer deadline looming, but there have been no further offers following West Brom's rejected bid.

West Ham have shown interest, as have Newcastle, but in neither case has their manager been watching, and there have been no bids from these two.

Reading have shown a passing interest in Beauchamp, but that was just a simple conversation between Maurice Evans and Denis Smith.

It's reported that Newcastle turned down an approach from Oxford to take Paul Robinson on a month's loan.

Story date: Tuesday 21 March

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