I was sorry to hear that Oxford central defender Michael Duberry has undergone an operation on a prolapsed disc that will see him out of the side for quite some time. He is a decent, whole-hearted and honest player, but, more importantly, a nice guy and I wish him a speedy and full recovery.
No doubt Michael, 36, would have liked to have faced the Cherries tonight - a side he made seven appearances for on loan from Chelsea as a kid - but Chris Wilder has options at the back including new signing Michael Raynes, 24, who is an established player at this level having started nearly two hundred games for Stockport, Scunny and more recently Rotherham.
Andy Whing, Peter Leven and Liam Davis also miss out with injuries..
But if Wilder has some concerns, opposite number Paul Groves has an sick list that even Oxford fans wouldn't wish on their worst enemy (well, unless he was an Italian managing a Wiltshire club I guess!).
Before a ball has even been kicked in anger, Groves is without long-term absentees Wes Fogden, Stephen Purches,Charlie Sheringham, Steve Fletcher, Josh McQuoid, Richard Hughes, Frank Demouge and Mark Molesley..
And Eunan O'Kane is away on international duty with Republic of Ireland's under-21s.
Adam Bartlett and Tommy Elphick are doubtful as well, but presumably may be called upon if the visiting kit man, bus driver and tea lady fail late fitness tests!
With each passing season I get the impression that this competition is gaining increasing apathy from fans, players and managers alike. The Walsall/Brentford fixture I saw on Saturday felt like a pre-season warm up game.
But from Oxford's point of view it is an opportunity to test themselves against a League One outfit and maybe get a money spinning draw in the next round. I suspect though that Wilder - while wanting to win - will see it as a competitive pre-season game before the real business starts on Saturday.
For Bournemouth it's a case of surviving the evening without putting more pressure on the NHS.
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