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New signing Craig Reid plays for United at Bath tonight

Craig Reid and Yemi Odubade get their first starting opportunities up front as Oxford United continue their pre-season build-up at Bath City tonight.

Chris Willmott will also start, as will triallist Ben Hinchcliffe in goal.

And the news on keeper Jake Cole's groin injury is encouraging, with U's boss Darren Patterson hopeful that the on-loan QPR stopper will be fit to face a Man Utd XI on Saturday.

This is, on paper, United's most difficult friendly so far as Bath finished in eighth place in Blue Square South last season, just three points off the play-offs.

Patterson says the result is not as important as getting his players' fitness right for the opening Blue Square Premier game at Barrow on August 8.

And it's with that game in mind, plus the testing pre-season fixture against Man Utd, that he will either rest, or give just a few minutes, to some of his new signings who played for most of last Saturday's 3-1 win at Maidenhead.

They include new strikers Jason Constable and Jamie Guy.

Patterson said: "It will be a semi-strong squad against Bath. Yemi and Reid will start up front for the first time.

"Both have played, but not started and Yemi's played wide right, but the players are going to have to get used to that . . . we've got to have bodies who are able to play in different positions.

"There's strong competition for places up front and it will be good to have a look at them."

Wayne Corden, the 32-year-old former Port Vale and Leyton Orient winger, is also set to play at Twerton Park, and triallist Kyle Storer, a midfielder who has played at Tamworth and Hinckley United, could get a run-out as a sub.

July has been one of the busiest months for incoming signings in Oxford United's history, and Patterson says he hasn't finished yet.

"Hopefully, there'll be two more in a couple of key areas that need strengthening," he said.

Among Bath's new signings are ex-Oxford United striker Stuart Douglas, 30, who performed the unorthodox dual role of player-physiotherapy at Weymouth last season and had the even odder stat of just two league starts and two red cards - plus one goal!

Oxford Utd: (from) Hinchcliffe, Clarke, Carruthers, Quinn, Willmott, Burnell, Murray, Davies, Corden, Reid, Odubade, Day, Foster, Deering, Constable, Guy, Haldane, Storer.

OXFORD United's new home kit has arrived and pre-orders are being despatched. It is now in stock at the club shop.

8:00am Tuesday 22nd July 2008

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