James Constable is a doubt to face Crewe on Saturday – but it’s nothing to do with anything except injury.

The Oxford United striker has been linked with several clubs of late, but Wednesday was the first time that the interest has spiralled into face-to-face discussions with another club, League One outfit Bournemouth.

The two parties could not reach agreement on personal terms, and Constable remains an Oxford player.

He is, however, a doubt to face Crewe with a calf injury – something boss Chris Wilder was quick to make clear was very much the case – and nothing to do with this week’s news.

“Absolutely not,” he said when asked if there was another reason other than injury.

“He has not trained all week and so we have a big decision to make over him on Saturday.”

And of the near-move to Bournemouth, Wilder added: “The amount we got offered was a very, very good bid, considering we are a League Two club.

“We’re certainly not selling people on the cheap here, as the chairman has said, it was a really good offer.

“I don’t put a gun to their head – he deserves the chance to go and speak to them. There’s a big difference between speaking to a club and signing.

“He has to make the decision because as we have said before, at this club we always inform the players of where everything’s at with interest in them.”

Wilder says that from his point of view it’s a tricky situation, because he wants his players to get noticed – because it means they must be doing well.

“He should be attracting interest,” Wilder said.

“I said to James this morning that I expect teams to want him.

“He got a lot of goals in the Conference, scored 17 last season and has started this season well as well.

“I’m not going to get myself into a muddle about it, but if he scores more goals between now and Christmas I am sure that in January there will be more interest in him.

“When it’s a club higher up the leagues, why shouldn’t a player want to speak to them?

“Who knows what they are going to offer you until you have the talks.”

He added: “I think he has handled everything extremely well.

“He handled all the rubbish that came from one club not long ago, and also the other enquiry from Luton – he handled all of that great.

“I didn’t see him fall under at any time. He just got his head down and kept working as hard as ever.

“If there is loads more enquiries about him, it means that he is doing the business and scoring goals for us.”

SATURDAY'S FIXTURES (3pm kick-off unless stated) AFC Wimbledon v Port Vale, Aldershot v Cheltenham, Barnet v Accrington Stanley, Burton Albion v Plymouth, Crawley Town v Bristol Rovers, Crewe v Oxford Utd, Gillingham v Shrewsbury, Hereford v Dag & Red, Morecambe v Bradford, Southend v Northampton, Swindon v Rotherham (12.15), Torquay v Macclesfield.