OXFORD United’s missing fixture against Bury has come at an ideal moment, says boss Karl Robinson.

The U’s are the only side in Sky Bet League One not in action this midweek.

They were due to host the Shakers last night, but their expulsion from the EFL means every club in the division will have two blank match days this season.

Both affected fixtures for the U’s fall on Tuesdays, with the return at Gigg Lane originally scheduled for January 28.

That makes it less disruptive to the schedule than losing games on a Saturday.

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And this midweek in particular comes at an useful moment for United to rest, ahead of next Tuesday’s Carabao Cup fourth round clash with Sunderland.

Robinson said: “It’s probably come at an amazing time for us.

“Otherwise we would have had to go Rotherham, Bury, Rochdale, Sunderland and then Portsmouth (in the space of 15 days).

“It would have been a big ask for us, almost impossible for us to keep this momentum going.

“I’ve got belief in my players, but it would have been a lot harder.”

It also allowed extra time to recover from Saturday’s physical clash with Rotherham United.

The U’s came out as 2-1 winners, but will have picked up plenty of bumps and bruises from the hard-fought contest.

While there were big wins last night for Doncaster Rovers and Sunderland, Blackpool’s draw means Karl Robinson’s side will stay in the play-off positions regardless of results in tonight’s three matches.