Skipper Phil Gilchrist has admitted that he is delaying surgery on his knee until the summer because Oxford United are in the play-offs.

The 33-year-old centre back has been troubled by the problem for several weeks and was rested at the weekend to ensure he is fit for the season's finale.

"I've had to be quite careful for the last three months," he said.

"It's a problem that I can't do anything about now until the end of the season, so it's a case of me doing as much as I can, or as little as I can, depending on what the circumstances are.

"There is something that needs to be looked at with my knee that has been delayed. It will be sorted in the summer.

"It's just a question of getting through games and everything will be OK."

He added: "The knee needs nursing through, but obviously I've got to keep my fitness levels up and we'll just play as many games as we can and make sure we're as right as we can be."

Gilly is an important member of United's defence - which by some way has proved to be the meanest in the Nationwide Conference - because of his experience and know-how.

When Barry Quinn was off the pitch in the second half of Saturday's 2-0 win over Stafford, the defence - Eddie Anaclet, Luke Foster, Mickey Corcoran, and Matt Day - had an average age of just 20.

There has been speculation that United's players might not put everything into Saturday's final Conference game at York because they will have one eye on the play-offs.

But Gilchrist doesn't believe players will hold back.

"From a player's point of view, you want to stay fit," he said. "But if you go into games trying to keep yourself fit, you can guarantee you'll get injured!

"We obviously want to go into the play-offs full of confidence.

"If we end up playing York three times in a week, obviously that's not an ideal scenario. But if that's what happens, that's what happens."