JOHN Mousinho believes Oxford United must be ready to withstand a backlash from Scunthorpe United this afternoon.

While the U’s go into the game still in Sky Bet League One’s bottom four, they are the form side.

They have collected nine points in a five-game unbeaten run, while the Iron have lost all their matches over the same period.

A week ago came the lowest point of Scunthorpe’s campaign so far, a 4-1 home defeat to struggling Plymouth Argyle which left them with the joint worst defensive record in the entire Football League.

But having suffered similar setbacks with United this season, Mousinho is well aware what the past week will have been like for the Scunthorpe squad.

He said: “I don’t know if that will help or hinder us.

“It can either be a massive knock to their confidence, or they can come out fighting like a wounded animal.

“We’re just going to have to make sure we’re as prepared as we can be and do everything right in our camp.

“In all honesty teams that do lose heavily at home usually come out with a different attitude the next week.

“They will have been working on certain things in training. I’m sure the manager will be really making sure that doesn’t happen again.”

Scunthorpe may look to Karl Robinson’s side for inspiration on how to dig themselves out of their rut.

Mousinho’s move into midfield has undoubtedly helped shore up what was a leaky defence and the skipper also thinks a lower-risk strategy has paid off since the stoppage-time defeat to Luton Town last month.

He said: “I don’t think it was necessarily because we were playing out from the back, but the amount of mistakes we were making on an individual level was massive.

“We tried to change that attitude and say ‘don’t worry too much about having to do too much on the ball, try to be a bit more basic’.

“I think the attitude must have changed slightly.

“We needed to because of the position we were in, but I don’t think we have sacrificed our style too much.”

Scunthorpe’s injury list is lengthy and includes long-term injuries to their first and second choice goalkeepers Matt Gilks and Rory Watson, so Jak Alnwick was signed on loan in August.

Dangerman Josh Morris (fractured jaw) and midfielder Matty Lund (ankle) are also unavailable, while Lee Novak and Stephen Humphrys are doubts after picking up knocks last week.

TODAY’S LINE-UPS

Scunthorpe Utd: from Alnwick, Clarke, Goode, McArdle, Borthwick-Jackson, Dales, Perch, Horsfield, Colclough, Novak, Ugbo, Wootton, Humphrys, Thomas, Sutton, Butroid, Burgess, Flatt.

Oxford Utd: from Eastwood, McMahon, Nelson, Dickie, Ruffels, Mousinho, Brannagan, Henry, Holmes, Browne, Mackie, Smith, Whyte, Carruthers, Heap, Hanson, Long, Raglan, Mitchell, Shearer.