Oxford’s new permanent signing Marcus McGuane will be unavailable for Saturday’s crucial Sky Bet League One game with Burton.

Midfielder McGuane, who had been on loan with the U’s, this week signed from Nottingham Forest for an undisclosed fee but is currently working his way back to fitness following a thigh injury.

Oxford almost certainly need to beat the Brewers to stand any chance of making the play-offs for a second successive season.

Manager Karl Robinson could stick with the same starting XI which won 3-2 at Shrewsbury last weekend, although Dan Agyei is pushing for a start having come off the bench to claim the late winner in that game.

Burton will be without Sean Clare and Ryan Edwards at the Kassam Stadium.

On-loan Clare is ineligible to play against his parent club, while fellow midfielder Edwards has a hamstring problem.

Defender Michael Mancienne has returned to training following injury and is expected to be included in the Brewers’ squad.

On-loan Peterborough midfielder Ryan Broom is among those available to come into the team, having scored two late equalisers as a substitute in recent games.