THE end of the transfer window means Oxford United must register their official squad list.
The U’s made nine signings this summer, while eight senior players were either released or joined other clubs.
The turnover across the English Football League (EFL) means all teams in the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two must submit their updated squad list after deadline day.
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Clubs in the bottom two divisions can name up to 22 players, although this does not include goalkeepers and Under 21s.
It means Simon Eastwood, Ed McGinty, Lewis Bate and Kyle Joseph do not count towards the squad limit, nor do youngsters like James Golding, Tyler Goodrham and Gatlin O’Donkor.
It leaves United with 19 ‘senior’ outfield players, giving Karl Robinson space for three additions to his squad.
The U’s head coach was asked at the weekend whether he would dip into the free agent market after the window closed and was coy about his intentions.
“That has to be the question: who is available and how many minutes have they played?,” Robinson said.
“I can’t really comment on what we want to do from here, I think it’s a bit unfair on players who are unattached and people we’re speaking to.
“I don’t want to say 100 per cent that we’re going to use that market – we might use it, but we might not.”
United boast 23 senior players – the 19 who count towards the quota plus Eastwood, McGinty, Bate and Joseph – and five youngsters who have played for the first-team this season, but their squad is not as deep as it looks on paper.
Injuries to Sam Baldock, Yanic Wildschut, Josh Murphy, Elliott Moore, Steve Seddon and Matty Taylor have left the U’s light out wide and up front.
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Murphy is close to a return, while Baldock stepped up his recovery last week, but a sizeable chunk of United’s squad is sidelined for now.
That meant the U’s pulled the plug on potential loan exits for Jodi Jones and Oisin Smyth late in the window.
It will be interesting to see if youngsters Robinson previously said could leave on loan, like Josh Johnson, Gatlin O’Donkor and Slavi Spasov, depart while United’s treatment room remains busy.
You would not expect to see anyone left out of the squad list, like Alex Gorrin was for the second half of last season following his anterior cruciate ligament injury.
We will find out soon, though – EFL rules state the governing body must publish all 72 clubs’ lists on its website within seven days of the window closing.
Oxford United’s first-team squad (italics = not included in squad cap)
Goalkeepers: Eastwood, McGinty.
Right backs: Anderson, Long.
Centre backs: Brown, Findlay, Moore, Mousinho.
Left backs: Seddon.
Central midfielders: Bate, Brannagan, Gorrin, Henry, McGuane, Smyth.
Wingers: Bodin, Browne, Jones, Murphy, Wildschut.
Strikers: Baldock, Joseph, Taylor.
Under 21 contract players: Golding, Goodrham, Johnson, O’Donkor, Plumley, Sade, Spasov.