Tomorrow's visitors Cardiff City have been decimated by the 'flu bug currently affecting many and had to send five players home before their weekend game against Reading. They could be without up to eight regulars for tomorrow's visit to the Abbey Stadium.

However United are not without problems and skipper Paul Wanless missed out through illness yesterday while new signing Steve Guinan is rated doubtful for tomorrow's game. Roy McFarland, who was ill himself last week, told the Cambridge Evening News, "Unfortunately I can't see Steve or Paul making the Cardiff game.

"Paul came along to our hotel at Oxford, but was clearly in no condition to play. We managed to get Steve's signing through in time for him to be eligible for Boxing Day, but then couldn't include him."

He hopes player-coach David Preece and Alex Russell will be have recovered sufficiently to play again tomorrow after playing well at less than full fitness at Oxford: "It isn't ideal them needing to play again so quickly," he said, "but we are depleted by the flu bug, and it's obviously a vital game for us."

Browse news stories