Oxford United handed Jem Karacan a trial for their under-23 side on Tuesday as they played out a friendly against AFC Wimbledon.

Karacan has had an injury hit career, but one that has still seen success throughout. The midfielder made his name at Reading, where he was a crucial part of the side that won the Championship in 2012.

However, an injury against Leeds United at the back end of the title winning season meant that he was ruled out for the majority of the Premier League campaign.

The midfielder has also enjoyed playing at Turkish giants Galatasaray as well as Bolton and Millwall amongst others.

The 30-year-old actually turned down an Oxford United offer in July 2018, but has now returned on the U's radar after injuries to George Thorne and Jamie Hanson in the central positions.

Karacan played 75 minutes for Oxford as they fell to defeat by a scoreline of 4-1. Another trialist, Malik Dijksteel, also played in the fixture.

The Verdict

Karacan has so much experience in the game, and he's been so unlucky with injuries throughout his career. During his time at Reading he was probably the best midfielder at the club in different periods, but two really bad injuries knocked his whole career back and he couldn't quite go on and be the player that a lot thought he might be.

There's potential that he could still prove to be handy, especially at a League One club who seem to be on the charge. He brings a positive attitude and was always a fan favourite at the clubs he played for, so it could be a shrewd acquisition from Karl Robinson.

The key is to keep him fit, and if Oxford can do that then they have a great player on their hands.

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