KIDDERMINSTER Harriers have an injury doubt over Scott Stamps for tomorrow's Nationwide League Division Three clash against high-riding Oxford United at Aggborough.

The defender damaged an ankle in Monday's disappointing 2-1 defeat against Cheltenham Town at Whaddon Road and had to be substituted for the second half by Adie Smith.

Danish front-runner Bo Henriksen and midfielder Dean Bennett have also been battling to shake off knocks this week, but should be available to take on second-in-the-table Oxford.

Henriksen has been suffering from a calf injury while Bennett has been hampered by a hamstring problem.

Harriers will be bidding to bounce back from successive defeats against Bury and Cheltenham which have left them in mid-table after opening their campaign with encouraging victories at home to Mansfield Town and away to Darlington.

Physically

Influential midfielder Danny Williams said: "Oxford will be like Cheltenham, a physically strong side. We have to start getting the ball down and playing to our strengths.

"In the four games we have played so far we haven't played anywhere near as well as we can do."

Former Welsh U21 campaigner Williams believes Harriers need to start operating as a team rather than individuals, and says: "We have to start doing that if we want to reach the play-offs and make a higher division."

Ian Atkins' Oxford will provide another stiff test for Harriers whose boss Ian Britton says he is losing patience with his side and will not be afraid to ring the changes.

He decided to name an unchanged line-up for the trip to Cheltenham but they 'failed the test' and indicated afterwards that the time was rapidly approaching for him to shuffle the pack.

Oxford have made a successful start to their campaign with three league victories and a draw leaving them just two points behind table-topping York City.

Last term the U's completed the 'double' over Harriers with a 3-1 win at Aggborough and a 2-1 triumph at the Kassam Stadium. The previous season the sides battled out 2-2 and 1-1 draws.

So far this season Oxford have signalled their intentions with home victories over Hull City and Swansea (3-0) and a 1-0 triumph at Lincoln. They have also drawn 1-1 at Scunthorpe.

In the first round of the Carling Cup they won 1-0 away to Division One side Millwall.

FORMCAST: Harriers will have to settle for a hard fought 1-1 draw.