Oxford United boss Karl Robinson has admitted his side are feeling the strain in the early weeks of the season after their 3-1 defeat by Bristol Rovers this weekend.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Robinson bemoaned the packed fixture list will see the U's play nine matches in just 28 days.

They're through to the League Cup second round where Millwall await this week, with Peterborough United the only team Robinson's side have beaten so far this campaign; once in the league and again in the cup.

With the transfer window looming large, Robinson admitted his squad were finding the congestion troubling.

“Punished for winning, we’ll call it," was his response when asked about the Millwall fixture.

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“It’s more about the welfare of the players and not getting injured. We’ve got a big decision about what we do on Tuesday now."

He admitted he'll be picking his side carefully with a crucial game coming up against one of the early League One pacesetters, Coventry City.

“We’ve just got to make sure we pick a team that’s ready and raring to compete with Millwall, but equally will be ready to go against Coventry (in Sky Bet League One) on Saturday.”

Oxford are currently 17th in League One, having got four points from five matches. They are one of the sides who have not been affected by postponements against either Bury or Bolton, with half the division having played five matches, whilst others have played fewer.

The Verdict

To a degree, Karl Robinson is right. There are teams in the division who have played three or four league matches and got knocked out of the cup. Others will be making their seventh outing of the season this Tuesday.

The question of player's welfare has been raised here, tentatively, but it's likely to rear it's head more during the season. Bolton postponing their game with Doncaster last week set a dangerous precedent and whilst they can expect FA punishment, the issue is now out there.

Are we moving towards a new era where Tuesday / Saturday is considered dangerous for the players? We might well be, although Robinson is always ready with excuses after a bad run of results.