admin“Mental Challenge” for Mark Harris as Gary Rowett states hope for Oxford United striker
Oxford United boss Gary Rowett states Mark Harris hopes
Gary Rowett has disclosed that he wants Oxford United striker Mark Harris to ‘get minutes’ for Wales in the final international break of the calendar year.
The Dragons face Liechtenstein on Saturday evening followed by a Tuesday night clash with North Macedonia in two crucial World Cup qualifiers.
Harris has been limited to solely substitute appearances in the Championship since game week two which was his last start for the U’s.
The striker has been usurped by Tottenham Hotspurs loanee Will Lankshear and Cagliari loan forward Nik Prelec in the pecking order, resulting in a lack of minutes that he has not experienced much of yet in his United career.
Craig Bellamy’s usual first-choice striker Kieffer Moore has pulled out of the Cymru squad due to injury, offering the Swansea-born Yellows forward a chance to find some form in two games in which his nation will be favourites.
“For someone like Sparky who’s not had tonnes of game time recently, which is sort of unusual for him, hopefully he gets some minutes,” U’s boss Rowett admitted.
“It’s a good opportunity for someone like him to get away and hopefully get involved and play some games. For him mentally, it is a challenge when you’re not in the team all the time.”
Harris is yet to score in 13 Oxford appearances so far this season and did not make it off the bench in their 2-1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion at the weekend.
READ MORE: Gary Rowett pulls no punches on Oxford position after West Brom loss
Also departing Oxfordshire on international duty are Ciaron Brown, Greg Leigh, and Filip Krastev.
Brown has played a full 90 minutes in each of the last six Championship games after returning from injury, keeping one clean sheet in the 1-0 win against Derby County at the Kassam.
“Brownie is coming off the back of quite a big schedule,” Rowett continued. “So I won’t be too displeased if he doesn’t play many minutes whereas last time we wanted him to play some minutes.
“I think Greg, again, it will be good for him to go and play games.”
Leigh goes away with Jamaica and will face Trinidad and Tobago and Curacao. He featured in the last international break, playing in a 4-0 victory over Bermuda.
Summer signing Krastev faces Turkiye and Georgia after featuring in two heavy defeats to Turkiye and Spain last time out.
“It’s a lot of pride for players to go and represent their nations; we should want them to do that,” the 51-year-old U’s boss stated.
“It means that our club is doing a decent job in terms of the quality of the player.
“When they come back, we’ll do our usual, pick up the pieces and try and win the next game because they don’t tend to turn up for more than a day or two before the next fixture.”
Now winless in three games prior to the break, Oxford approach a relentless Christmas period that could prove decisive in their bid to stay in the division for a second season running.
A home battle with Middlesbrough will be the first game back, another tough test against a team pushing for automatic promotion this campaign.
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