Mansfield Town vs Oxford United - prediction, team news, lineups

Mansfield Town invited Oxford United to the One Call Stadium connected Thursday evening for their latest instalment of enactment successful the 2026-27 League One campaign.

In their erstwhile outing, the Stags claimed an important 2-1 location triumph against a struggling Bromley side, portion the U’s survived a precocious scare to bushed Notts County by the aforesaid scoreline astatine Meadow Lane.

Match preview

Following an awesome extremity to the 2025-26 season, winning 3 of their last 4 league matches to decorativeness successful the apical fractional of the table, Mansfield would person been disappointed with the commencement of their 3rd successive twelvemonth successful League One.

Despite kicking disconnected their run with a 2-1 triumph implicit Doncaster Rovers connected the opening day, the Stags won conscionable 1 of their adjacent six fixtures and earned lone 5 points successful the process to beryllium narrowly supra the driblet portion successful 20th astatine the extremity of September.

It is not conscionable successful the league that Mansfield person struggled either, with Nigel Clough’s men falling to a 3-0 against Sheffield United successful August to exit the EFL Cup successful the opening circular earlier losing to some Port Vale and Manchester City U21s successful their archetypal 2 EFL Trophy matches to beryllium stone bottommost of the Group 4 table.

However, having ended their six week agelong hold for triumph with a 2-1 triumph implicit Bromley connected Saturday day and facing immoderate much favourable upcoming fixtures, Clough’s broadside present person a large accidental to emergence further up the league array and physique upon their existent 3 lucifer unbeaten streak.

If they are to proceed their dependable ascent towards the playoffs, the Stags volition surely person to beryllium connected apical of their crippled this play though, having failed to triumph immoderate of their erstwhile 3 competitory matches against Oxford and their latest triumph implicit the U’s coming successful August 2014.

After a disappointing 2025-26 Championship campaign, finishing 22nd successful the array to bring their two-year spell successful the part to an end, Oxford person made a promising commencement to the play and look acceptable to situation amongst the strongest sides successful League One.

Although they picked up conscionable 1 triumph from their opening 3 matches, the U’s person emphatically turned their signifier astir successful caller weeks, claiming convincing victories implicit the likes of Leicester City and Burton Albion connected their mode to becoming the league’s signifier side, having earned 10 points from their erstwhile 4 fixtures.

As a result, Oxford person swiftly ascended the League One table and portion their blistery streak inactive leaves them extracurricular the playoff places, Aaron Ramsey’s men person astatine slightest 1 crippled successful manus connected each different broadside successful the division, making it highly apt they volition proceed their dependable ascent of the league.

Much similar their opposition, the U’s person been lacklustre successful the cups though, pursuing up a 2-0 decision to Leyton Orient successful the opening circular of the EFL Cup by taking conscionable a constituent from their archetypal EFL Trophy fixture distant to Exeter City, leaving them extracurricular the progression places successful Group 9. 

However, having won 4 of the erstwhile 7 meetings betwixt the sides, including a 3-1 triumph astatine the One Call Stadium successful November 2013, Oxford volition undoubtedly beryllium assured of maintaining their stellar streak against Mansfield connected Thursday evening and temporarily climbing into the League One apical two.

Mansfield Town League One form:

Mansfield Town signifier (all competitions):

Oxford United League One form:

Oxford United signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Mansfield volition beryllium without Grenada planetary Lucas Akins and 31-year-old defender Billy Cargill for this week’s clash arsenic some proceed their betterment from hamstring injuries.

Veteran striker David McGoldrick besides precocious picked up a sound and has missed the erstwhile 2 outings for the Stags, making him a uncertainty to diagnostic against Oxford too.

Having picked up a reddish paper lone 2 minutes aft coming disconnected the seat against Huddersfield Town past month, Clough has been without Owen Dodgson for Mansfield’s 2 latest fixtures and the 23-year-old volition service the last lucifer of his suspension connected Thursday evening.

The hosts’ biggest menace is decidedly Guyanese winger Nathan Moriah-Welsh, who is the club’s apical scorer truthful acold this play and netted the victor against Bromley connected Saturday afternoon.

Oxford person nary caller wounded concerns pursuing their travel to Notts County, with Frankie Kent inactive their biggest miss arsenic helium remains retired with an ACL wounded suffered during preseason training.

Ramsey is besides expected to miss some South Korean midfielder Jin-Woo Jeon and 22-year-old guardant Aidomo Emakhu this week, though they are nearing returns from backmost and limb issues respectively.

After sustaining a superior hamstring wounded against Cambridge United past month, Oxford look arsenic though they volition beryllium without Northern Irish midfielder Jamie McDonnell for a important play too, with Louie Sibley apt to capable the void near by the 22-year-old.

Although helium is nearing a return, Thursday’s fixture is besides apt to travel excessively soon for Dutch defender Ruben Roosken, who is yet to diagnostic for the visitors this play owed to an undisclosed issue.

Mansfield Town imaginable starting lineup:

Roberts; Hewitt, Oshilaja, Sweeney; Reed; Moriah-Welsh, Maris, Thompson, McLaughlin; Smith, Hendry

Oxford United imaginable starting lineup:

Cumming; Kioso, Helik, Brown, Currie; Brannagan, Sibley; Missanga, Goodrham, Dembele; Harris

We say: Mansfield Town 1-1 Oxford United

Possessing 1 of the strongest location records successful the league this season, taking 10 points from their 4 matches astatine the One Call Stadium, Mansfield should be assured that the acquainted surroundings tin bring them the aforesaid joyousness erstwhile again this week.

However, facing an Oxford broadside that have conflictingly impressed connected their travels, winning 3 of their 4 fixtures connected the roadworthy truthful acold this campaign, the hosts look an almighty trial connected Thursday evening and we deliberation the spoils volition beryllium shared aft 90 minutes.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.