OXFORD United should have nothing to fear when they start the Sky Bet League One season at Barnsley today, skipper Curtis Nelson has urged.

On paper it looks a tough opener, away to a side who were in the Championship last season and are second only to Sunderland in the promotion odds.

And hopes United’s squad for the game would be boosted by the completion of Ricky Holmes’s anticipated loan move faded as yesterday passed without an announcement.

Barnsley have kept the vast majority of their team intact, with midfielder Kenny Dougall the only summer signing, whereas United’s has undergone major surgery.

But Nelson is confident Karl Robinson’s revamped side can compete at the sharp end of the division and will be unfazed by this afternoon’s test.

He said: “No-one knows what to expect from anyone at the start of the season.

“You could say Barnsley coming down from the Championship will be a tough game, but they got relegated.

“They are on our level now and there’s no-one we should be afraid of.

“We’re all League One teams for a reason and our aim for the season is to get into the Championship, where Barnsley have just come from.

“After the pre-season we’ve had, we’re all raring to go.

“No-one is focused on anything else and we’re all guns blazing for Barnsley.”

United will be backed by more than 1,000 travelling fans, in what is their first trip to Oakwell for 20 years.

Up to half-a-dozen competitive debuts could be handed out, including full backs Tony McMahon and Luke Garbutt.

But despite the back four looking different from the end of last season, both defensive additions have been in place since the start of the pre-season games.

It has given them time to build up an understanding with Nelson and his central defensive partner, who is most likely to be Rob Dickie.

Nelson said: “I did a bit with Dickie and Mous (John Mousinho) last year and I knew Rags (Charlie Raglan) very well already.

“Tony and Garbs have come in quite early, so we’ve had a lot of time with them.

“There’s Longy (Sam Long) and Canice (Carroll) who can play in those positions as well, so the recruitment has been top drawer.

“I can’t complain about that.”