Charlton Athletic will be looking to make it four wins on the spin when they take on Oxford United at The Valley on Tuesday night (7pm kick-off).
Lee Bowyer’s side will be brimming with confidence after a run of three consecutive victories and four clean sheets which has propelled the Addicks up to 8th place and, more significantly, just a point away from a play-off position.
The U’s currently sit in 22nd place with just two wins from their six games, though the Oxfordshire club have had games with both Crewe Alexandra and Swindon Town postponed after positive COVID-19 tests left their opponents unable to fulfil the fixture.
Team News
Ben Purrington is available again after serving his one-match ban, but Lee Bowyer will still be without central defenders Jason Pearce (knee) and Deji Oshilaja (foot). Alex Gilbey remains absent as he continues to work his way back to full match fitness following his achilles injury.
Tuesday’s fixture is expected to come too soon for attacking duo Alfie Doughty and Chuks Aneke. Doughty was withdrawn in the 66th minute at Northampton on Saturday, while Aneke was not in Bowyer’s matchday squad due to a groin injury he sustained when netting Charlton’s late winner at Blackpool last Tuesday.
Marcus Maddison will be pushing to make his first Addicks start after recovering from his minor ankle problem. The former Posh man was an unused substitute at the PTS Academy Stadium on Saturday.
Oxford will be without Jamie Hanson (ankle), while Cameron Brannagan (eye infection) and defender Rob Atkinson (groin) are both doubtful for the visitors.
Karl Robinson will make a late call on Anthony Forde (groin) and club captain John Mousinho who has been out with a knee injury.
Forward Sam Winnall is likely to feature in Robinson’s matchday squad after recovering from a tight hamstring.
Firm Foundations
The Addicks have now gone six hours without conceding a goal in League One for the first time since between March and April in 2019. This has provided Bowyer’s men with a strong platform from which to build on.
An integral part of that platform is the colossal Ryan Inniss. The 25-year-old was literally head and shoulders above the Cobblers on Saturday afternoon, winning ten headers – the next highest for both sides was six.
Inniss paired this with ten clearances in what was another stand-out performance from the Crystal Palace academy graduate. This earned the defender a place in the Sky Bet League One team of the week for the second successive game.
A Familiar Face
Karl Robinson will be returning to The Valley on Tuesday for the second time since he left Charlton in March 2018. Robinson’s first visit back to SE7 came in a 1-1 draw in October 2018, with goals coming from Addicks forward Lyle Taylor and U’s substitute Gavin Whyte.
The postponement of Oxford’s A420 derby with Swindon Town gave Robinson the chance to watch on from the stands at the PTS Academy Stadium on Saturday afternoon as Charlton ran out 2-0 victors. The Addicks’ recent form makes Robinson’s latest visit to The Valley a tough prospect.
During his tenure as Charlton manager, Robinson had a 36.5% win percentage from his 74 games in charge with 27 wins, 21 draws and 26 losses.
Head-to-Head
Charlton and Oxford have met 44 times, the Addicks winning 17 and the U’s 12, with the spoils being shared on 15 occasions.
The last meeting came in April 2019 at the Kassam Stadium which saw the Addicks return to SE7 empty-handed after a disappointing 2-1 defeat. Charlton took an early lead when Lyle Taylor converted from the penalty spot but two quickfire goals from Curtis Nelson and Luke Garbutt were enough to give the hosts three points.
The visitors are unbeaten in their last five trips to The Valley, with Charlton’s last league victory against the U’s dating back to January 1998.
