Preview: Oxford United vs MK Dons - prediction, team news, lineups

Oxford United will be looking to pick up an important win when they welcome MK Dons to the Kassam Stadium on Saturday.

The hosts are back in League One after being relegated from the Championship, while the visitors earned promotion from League Two last season.

Match preview

Oxford's two-year stay in the Championship came to an end last season as they were relegated after finishing 22nd, having picked up just 11 wins, 14 draws and 21 defeats.

The U's have entered a new era, with Aaron Ramsey appointed as head coach, but they have only signed two new players so far in Ruben Roosken and Frankie Kent.

That is because the club are not compliant with the EFL's salary cost management protocol regulations.

As a result, there are major concerns over Oxford's squad depth, with the likes of Will Vaulks, Nik Prelec, Przemyslaw Placheta, Myles Peart-Harris and Tom Bradshaw all departing.

Oxford enjoyed an excellent pre-season, beating Wealdstone, Aldershot Town, Barnet, Crawley Town and Ipswich Town, but they were beaten 2-0 by Leyton Orient in the EFL Cup last weekend.

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MK Dons, meanwhile, earned automatic promotion after finishing second in League Two last season and will be hoping to establish themselves in the third tier.

Head coach Paul Warne has strengthened his side in the transfer window, with Charlie Goode, Cohen Bramall, Daniel Barlaser, Ryan Wintle, Sam Nombe and Samuel Silvera all joining the club.

MK Dons had a mixed pre-season, picking up three wins, one draw and four defeats, and they were also knocked out of the EFL Cup last weekend by Norwich City.

Norwich thumped MK Dons 4-1 thanks to goals from Mohamed Toure, Anis Ben Slimane, Ben Chrisene and Andre Brooks, with Warne admitting his side "gave them three goals".

Oxford United form (all competitions):

MK Dons form (all competitions):

Team News

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Oxford will be without Roosken, Kent and Jeon Jin-woo due to injury and are unlikely to make many changes from the side that lost to Leyton Orient.

Mark Harris is set to lead the line, with attacking support from Aidomo Emakhu, Tyler Goodrham and Siriki Dembele.

MK Dons are set to hand league debuts to Nombe, Wintle, Bramall and Goode.

Nombe is set to lead the line, with Callum Paterson and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing featuring out wide.

Oxford United possible starting lineup:

Cumming; Spencer, Long, Brown, Currie; McDonnell, Brannagan; Emakhu, Goodrham, Dembele; Harris

MK Dons possible starting lineup:

MacGillivray; Jones, Nelson, Goode, Bramall; Paterson, Wintle, Kelly, Wiles, Mendez-Laing; Nombe

We say: Oxford United 1-0 MK Dons

Despite their off-field issues and concerns over their squad depth, Oxford should have enough quality to beat MK Dons.

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