OXFORD United are confident of one thing tomorrow at Peterborough United – they will get a warmer welcome than at Gillingham last weekend.

Changing facilities at Priestfield were switched at late notice, apparently due to a local spike in coronavirus, to effectively an area in the concourse under the Medway Stand.

Not only was it cold enough that players were told to change at the hotel, but the proximity to the outside world allowed some of head coach Karl Robinson’s half-time team talk to be recorded and shared on social media.

It was the latest in a series of issues on their away trips blamed on Covid, which began with a lack of running water at Lincoln City on the opening day of the season.

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Robinson, who says the EFL are looking into events at Gillingham, has been reassured there will be no such issues at London Road.

“We’ve heard from Peterborough and we believe the changing facility is the best we’re going to go into,” the U’s boss said.

“It doesn’t surprise me the way Darragh (MacAnthony, co-owner), Darren (Ferguson, manager) and Barry (Fry, director of football) are.

“The way they respect teams, it’s a football club that does everything right.”

Ferguson is Robinson’s most regular opponent, with tomorrow the 15th meeting of the pair on the touchline.

And U’s head coach holds his Posh counterpart in high esteem.

He said: “I do put him in a different bracket to a lot of others, just with the way he is as a person.

“He knows when the game kicks off we don’t need to like each other to respect each other during the 90 minutes.

“After the game he’s always someone I enjoy having a beer with.

“He doesn’t believe in all the antics that go on with trying to get a game done.”

Just playing would be a start, after United’s clash with Crewe Alexandra was postponed at short notice on Tuesday for the second time in ten days.

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Robinson admits all the added challenges brought on by coronavirus restrictions this season have got him out of his comfort zone and had a wearing effect.

“I loved every minute of the Pro Licence, but unfortunately pandemics and leagues getting cancelled weren’t part of it,” he said.

“Probably 80-90 per cent of my time at the moment is not on football.

“I think the whole country’s tired of the situation we find ourselves in.

“We constantly hear about what might happen down the line, circuit breaker here, lockdown there – so many different things we’re trying to deal with in our personal lives, and then you have to deal with work at a highest level of performance.

“It’s going to take its toll on the nation, it’s not just me.”