JOE Rothwell says everyone in the Oxford United starting line-up tomorrow will be treating it as their final audition to make the side for Wembley.

Head coach Michael Appleton has used the four games before the Checkatrade Trophy final to give all those in the frame a chance to stake a claim.

Only the trip to Northampton Town this weekend and Tuesday’s home game with Bury remain.

It means many of the squad members will start just once more before Wembley.

Rothwell gained his first start since January in last weekend’s 2-1 win against Scunthorpe United.

And if he is back in the XI at Sixfields, the midfielder will be approaching it as his one last chance to impress.

He said: “Over the last couple of games I think that’s how you’ve had to go into them.

“You don’t know when you’re going to play, so I think you have to go into every game and do the best you can.

“The gaffer’s said he’s already picked his teams (for the next two games), so it will give everyone a fair shot of what they can do. It’s there for anyone I think.

“Hopefully I’m one of them who catches his eye.

“That’s the game everyone wants to play in – a final at the national stadium.

“Training might be a bit feisty, with a few tackles going in.”

The policy has already been a success in shaking up the established order in the group, according to Appleton.

The U’s boss said: “One or two players who I might have felt had almost accepted they would be second fiddle, have all of a sudden come right to the forefront of my mind.”

The majority of Rothwell’s 20 starts for United came in the first half of the season.

And while the former Manchester United trainee has been frustrated watching on from the bench, it does mean he heads into the final phase of the season in good shape.

“I feel like I’m fresh and raring to go,” he said.

“I hope the gaffer looks at it like that.”

Rothwell was an unused substitute when United suffered a stoppage-time defeat to Northampton Town at the Kassam Stadium on Boxing Day.

Appleton’s side are set up to attack and are happy to gamble in the latter stages of games.

As a result no-one in League One has drawn fewer games than the U’s, who have more often than not turned a single point into three with dramatic finishes – most recently against Scunthorpe.

But they were stung by Northampton striker Marc Richards’s close-range finish, which made it one of the most frustrating games of United’s campaign.

Rothwell said: “It was an odd game really.

“I thought we dominated and were pushing for the win, but they went down the other end and nicked one.

“I don’t think we deserved to lose that day.

“It’s about finding a balance.

“Sometimes when we’re drawing we tend to push on and try to get that winning goal and then sometimes we’ve conceded one in the last minute.

“It can go in your favour, but sometimes it can go against you.

“We’ll be looking to go there and take a bit of revenge.”