There is mixed news of Roy McFarland's two new loan signings ahead of tomorrow's vital relegation 'six pointer' against Oxford United.

Despite his outstanding one-handed save after coming off the bench at Luton on Tuesday night, Arjan Van Heusden is expected to remain among the substitutes while flamboyant Newcastle United 'keeper Lionel Perez (right) makes his debut. It is thought unlikely that Roy McFarland has brought in a Premiership goalkeeper to leave him on the bench, especially for such an important game.

Meanwhile, according to the Cambridge Evening News, Sheffield United midfielder Jon Hunt will not play as he has a slight ankle injury and can be added to the long list of injured first team players. Neil Mackenzie is expected to be available tomorrow despite suffering a heavy blow to the head on Tuesday night, and Clive Wilson, the club's only left-back, may be available tomorrow if he resumed training today as physio Ken Steggles hoped earlier this week.

There is also a slight chance that Tom Youngs may play if the calf injury which he suffered at Luton proved not to be a tear. However the options in attack are limited for McFarland who has only Trevor Benjamin and John Taylor as fit, experienced strikers, and in defence right-back Jason Kavanagh has a suspected broken toe, again according to today's CEN. Apart from two or three positions, tomorrow's team sheet is likely to remain a mystery until it is announced tomorrow afternoon.

"We lost three players against Luton, and it really hampers the things you try to do," McFarland told Will Jones for U's Net. "Like everything else, we have just got to get on with it. I think there are about 10 players, nearly a whole football team, that are on the treatment table. These things happen in football but we will get on with it.

"Whatever team I put out will give 100%. If we have to resort to putting our kids in then they have done well and I know they will give us everything they have got. Whatever I do, I know the supporters will give them the backing they would like and, in that sense, deserve."

While the media attention and that of most of the students in both cities will be on the annual boat race on the Thames, Oxford United swapped places with Cambridge United and moved out of the relegation zone by winning on Tuesday night so everything is at stake at the Abbey tomorrow. With deadline day signing Eddie Newton carrying a slight knock, Oxford boss Dennis Smith is thought likely to name an unchanged side.

Meanwhile Cambridge skipper Paul Wanless has admitted that he would love to "put one over" on the Oxford manager. It was Smith who released Wanless from the club he joined from school and where he made his debut as an 18-year-old, and 'Wannie' admitted to the CEN this week, "As it happened it turned out very well for me, after I joined Cambridge from Lincoln."

"Maybe I should really be thanking Denis for that, but I do have an extra incentive in this match. I was gutted when flu stopped me playing in the Boxing Day match at the Manor, but the next best thing will be to play against Oxford at the Abbey and beat them. Although, after that, I'd like them to avoid relegation as well as us."

On the U's current trend of performing better on their travels than at home - a trend shared with Oxford - Wanless added, "It's not a complex with the players, we aren't afraid of playing at home. I can't really explain why the results have gone like they have, but we prefer playing in front of our own fans, and we all know now we can't drop many more home points, especially not against Oxford."