Armando Dobra comes into the team for his full league debut and Jon Nolan, Aaron Drinan, Jack Lankester and Mark McGuinness return to the line-up as Blues boss Paul Lambert makes five changes for this evening’s game at Oxford.
McGuinness joins Luke Woolfenden at the heart of the defence with skipper Luke Chambers at right-back and Stephen Ward on the left.
In midfield, Andre Dozzell takes up his usual deeper role with Lankester and Nolan, back after a groin injury, ahead of him.
Drinan, making his first start since the opening day of the league season, is the central striker with Dobra, who has previously made four league appearances as a sub, probably on the right and Keanan Bennetts on the left.
James Norwood and Toto Nsiala both suffered injuries in Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat to Charlton, while Alan Judge and Liam Gibbs drop to the bench and Brett McGavin is missing from the 18.
Oxford make two changes from the team which lost 2-1 to Swindon at the weekend with Jack Stevens taking over in goal from Simon Eastwood, who drops to the bench, while Olamide Shodipo replaces Jordan Obita, who is also among the subs.
Oxford: Stevens, Ruffels, Moore, Gorrin, Taylor, Long, Henry, McGuane, Atkinson, Shodipo, Kelly. Subs: Eastwood, Clare, Hall, Forde, Mousinho, Agyei, Obita.
Town: Cornell, Chambers, Woolfenden, McGuinness, Ward, Dozzell, Nolan, Lankester, Dobra, Bennetts, Drinan. Subs: Holy, Donacien, Kenlock, Judge, Jackson, Hawkins, Gibbs. Referee: Bobby Madley (West Yorkshire).