Oxford United visit the New Lawn this evening to take on Forest Green Rovers. Rovers are the only team this season to come away from Oxford with a point, when the sides drew 0-0 on August Bank Holiday. As well as the quest for revenge for that disappointing result, coming at a time when Rovers hadn't yet secured any Conference points, it is important for Oxford to maintain the five-point gap at the top of the table, as Stevenage Borough have a league game against Salisbury City on Saturday, while United are engaged in FA Cup duty against Barrow.

Coming into the Oxford squad is new emergency loan signing from Barnsley, Onome Sodje. Sodje has been described as being a bit of a taller version of Yemi Odubade, but who can finish. Although York City fans might disagree, Chris Wilder would not have signed him if he had any doubts over either his ability or his temperament. Sodje will probably be a straight replacement for the injured Matt Green. Steven Kinniburgh will sit out the second game of this two-match suspension, although Mark Creighton might return to the defence.

Forest Green sit just five points above the relegation zone, and so have their own reasons for wanting the three points tonight. They lost 1-0 at home to Stevenage on Saturday, which is another reason why the Us will want to at least emulate that scoreline. Rovers will be without Curtis McDonald, who is on standby for the Wales Semi-Pro Under-23 squad for their game against Northern Ireland in Portadown tonight. Striker Sean Rigg has finished his loan spell and returned to Bristol Rovers, but Rovers signed Ben Joyce on loan from Torquay United to replace him. He was previously at Swindon Town for a couple of years, so shouldn't prove too troublesome to the Us defence. [@opponent]forest green rovers[/@opponent] [@connection]forest green rovers[/@connection]