KARL Robinson admits Oxford United have some big decisions to make in the transfer market this week as the clock ticks down towards the start of the season.

It is just 19 days until they kick-off the Sky Bet League One campaign and so far only Tariqe Fosu and Alex Rodriguez Gorrin have bolstered the senior squad.

The two biggest pieces of the recruitment jigsaw puzzle – a striker and a centre back – remain vacant despite the U’s best efforts and boss Robinson is well aware time is of the essence.

He said: “I think we’re going to have to do some business very quickly, because you can see how low we are on numbers.

“It’s been slow, but we’re just waiting to see.

“This is a big week because we’re 50 per cent of the way through pre-season.

“The players who have done all the training and games look in great shape, but they need support now, they really do. We need to start making some signings.”

The biggest call of all will be how long they hold out for their top targets, or whether the time is right to move for players further down their wish-list who can be finalised swiftly.

“That’s the million dollar question,” the head coach said.

“We’re not 100 per cent sure that we can get the ones we want over the line.

“So do you make that decision and take a player you know you can do?

“I don’t want to settle for that, I want the best players we can possibly get at Oxford United. That’s got to be our objective.

“It may be seen as frustrating to everybody and I understand that, but there are players out there in our reach that we just can’t quite get over the line yet.

“If they’re good players, we won’t be the only team that want them, that’s the problem.”

A loan move for Chris Cadden appears likely to go through, but there is a decision to be made on his former Motherwell teammate Elliott Frear.

The winger is due to continue his trial by training with the squad today, having scored in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Woking.

Robinson said: “We know he has that and we know he can stretch the game and his delivery’s not bad either.

“But how intricate can he be in the final third when teams sit on the edge of the box? Teams do that to us.

“There are so many different facets to it that we’ll sit down and analyse over the next 48 hours.”

United also plan to speak with Jon Guthrie’s agent today.

The centre back, released by Walsall, played three games on trial last week, was believed to be playing elsewhere on Saturday.