Preview: Shrewsbury Town vs. Oxford United - prediction, team news, lineups

The home side are currently 14th in the table, three points ahead of the visitors, who are able to overtake them with a victory.

Match preview

Shrewsbury are near enough where they would have been expected to be in the table at this stage, having finished 18th in League One last season.

Steve Cotterill's side enjoyed a decent run from the start of September to the middle of October, winning five games out of seven in the league, with four of these victories coming by one goal-margins, highlighting their ability to get over the line in closely-contested matches.

Since a 1-0 victory at Fleetwood Town, however, Salop have lost three of their four games in all competitions, falling to a 1-0 defeat at Stockport County in the EFL Trophy, before two-straight league defeats, against Charlton Athletic and Plymouth Argyle.

There were promising signs in the trip to Plymouth, with Shrewsbury leading for a large period of the game, after Jordan Shipley opened the scoring in the first half, but a 70th-minute Niall Ennis equaliser followed by a late winner from Morgan Whittaker ensured that they did not take anything from the game.

In their last league outing, Salop ended their two-game losing run with a decent point at fifth-placed Portsmouth, once more taking the lead at a side vying for promotion, but this time Elliott Bennett's opening goal was immediately cancelled out by Zak Swanson.

Oxford United have so far been unable to replicate their form in the 2021-22 season, in which they recorded a very respectable eighth-placed finish, and they currently find themselves languishing in mid table with just over a third of the season gone.

A poor start to the season is largely to blame for the league position of Karl Robinson's side, winning just one of their opening five games in League One, a run that only left them outside of the relegation zone on goal difference.

Form has somewhat picked up in recent times, however, with the U's losing just one of their last five matches, unlucky in a 2-1 home defeat against Peterborough United, in which they almost fought back to get a point despite having 10 men.

Performances at the Kassam Stadium have been an issue this season, as Oxford are 19th in the league for points acquired at home, picking up just eight in eight league outings, and only managing to get a point on home soil against Fleetwood Town last time out.

Conversely, the U's have done well on their travels, winning 3-1 at sixth-placed Bolton Wanderers in their last away fixture, and so they will be travelling to Montgomery Waters Meadow safe in the knowledge that they are capable of getting a result on the road.

Shrewsbury Town League One form:

L

W

W

L

L

D

Shrewsbury Town form (all competitions):

W

W

L

L

L

D

Oxford United League One form:

L

W

L

D

W

D

Oxford United form (all competitions):

W

L

L

D

W

D

Team News

Shrewsbury have had bad luck on the injury front so far this season, with both Daniel Udoh and George Nurse suffering anterior cruciate ligament injuries within weeks of each other, and they are expected to be out for the season.

Forward Aiden O'Brien is continuing his rehabilitation to return from a hip problem, so Rob Street and Christian Saydee are likely to feature in the Salop attack.

Elsewhere, Julien Dacosta is expected to be out until December after picking up an injury in training, so Bennett will keep his place at right-back, having scored in the away trip to Portsmouth.

After scoring the equaliser against Fleetwood, 18-year-old forward Gatlin O'Donkor may be brought into the Oxford attack, replacing Marcus Browne in the starting lineup.

The youngster is likely to accompany Kyle Joseph, with the striker's goal tally of five so far this season being the highest of any U's player, joint with Cameron Brannagan, who should play in an advanced midfield role.

Shrewsbury Town possible starting lineup:

Marosi; Flanagan, Dunkley, Pennington; Bennett, Winchester, Bayliss, Leahy, Shipley; Saydee, Street

Oxford United possible starting lineup:

Eastwood; Seddon, Moore, Findlay, Brown; Bate, Brannagan, McGuane; Anderson, Joseph, O'Donkor

We say: Shrewsbury Town 1-2 Oxford United

Shrewsbury Town have been in poor form in the league recently, so we expect Oxford United to capitalise on that, and go above their opponents in the table. Not only that, but the U's are good on their travels, and they will be buoyed by a recent win away at Bolton Wanderers.

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