Sutton’s draw at Leyton Orient on Saturday, which kept U’s in third place in the South East Division of the EFL Youth Alliance, extended an unbeaten run to eight games including the Surrey Senior Cup win against Epsom & Ewell. Earlier in that run was the first round of this competition, when U’s beat a higher ranked Colchester United outfit on penalties following a 2-2 draw after extra time, and a victory over Oxford on Friday would put U’s in the third round with a chance of a game against a Premier League side, with memories still fresh of the meeting with Liverpool three seasons ago.

Oxford play in the South West Division of the EFL Youth Alliance and are currently sixth, but go in to the game on the back of a good away win at Newport on Saturday. They beat Bridgwater in the first round, also played at Oxford City. 

Last season the two teams both finished in the top half of their regional divisions and qualified for Merit League 1, and when the sides met in April at the VBS Community Stadium Sutton won 2-1 with goals from Camron Grant, likely to be in Friday’s squad, and Ollie Khinda.