KARL Robinson brought up 600 matches in management earlier this season – and tonight’s away dugout will include a coach who helped him get his foot in the door.

Shrewsbury Town assistant manager Aaron Wilbraham was at MK Dons when the 41-year-old arrived in May 2010.

The ex-striker was a senior player and had a say in bringing Robinson to Buckinghamshire, according to the Oxford United head coach.

He said: “Aaron Wilbraham actually got me my first managerial job.

“Him and (Dons captain) Dean Lewington were the two people who went to (chairman) Pete Winkelman and told him to give me a chance.

“I owe an awful lot to Alby.”

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Wilbraham was thrust into the role of stand-in boss when Steve Cotterill became seriously ill after catching Covid earlier this year, but the Shrewsbury manager is now back on the touchline.

Tonight’s visitors are aiming to recover from a slow start to the season that has left them 21st in Sky Bet League One, even after beating MK 1-0 on Saturday.

A poor record on the road has not helped, with Shrewsbury taking one point from six away matches to date.

But Robinson knows the Shropshire side will be no pushovers as United aim to get back on track.

He said: “It’s another well-run football club, they’ve got some really good players who had bigger aspirations this year.

“Bringing in so many players, it’s so hard as a coach to bring that all together.

“No result’s a foregone conclusion anywhere in the world.

“That’s why we pay money to watch football, because the unpredictability is so vast from one week to the next.

“The further you go down the pyramid you see that even more.”

After reaching October unbeaten at home, ninth-placed United will be desperate to avoid a third straight defeat at the Kassam Stadium.

League One leaders Plymouth returned to Devon with all three points on Saturday, but Robinson refused to be too downhearted.

“Especially off the back of our performance on Saturday, we go into it in really good form,” he said.

“We have a goal to make this football club successful, we’re going to have bad days.

“It’s about us moving forwards as a club.”