Oxford United say they will do all they can to persuade Phil Gray not to leave in the summer.

Gray's return to his old club Luton Town on Saturday was put on hold when the match was postponed because of heavy overnight rain - their fifth Division 2 postponement this season.

Gray, who now misses Oxford's next two games because he is on World Cup duty with Northern Ireland, has said he is concerned about the effect relegation will have on his international career.

United's assistant manager Alan McLeary said: "I can understand Phil being a bit concerned, but he is just part of quite a big Northern Ireland squad and I'm sure his international prospects are much better when he's playing first-team football than in someone's reserves."

The former Sunderland striker was languishing in Burnley's reserves when Joe Kinnear brought him to the Manor last November.

"I'm pretty confident we can talk Phil around into staying and, if we do go down, being part of the side that will hopefully bring us back up," McLeary said.

Saturday's postponement followed other away games, at Bournemouth and Cambridge, which United have had called off this season because of the weather, while their home game against Port Vale has twice been postponed.

No new date has yet been confirmed for Luton, although Tuesday, April 10, the only spare date for both clubs, appears favourite.

Meanwhile, U's boss Davd Kemp hopes to enter talks today to bring in a goalkeeper as cover for Richard Knight before Thursday's transfer deadline.

Unless the club sign someone, they would be faced with having to throw in untried youth team keeper Phil Wilson if Knight got injured, and there are still 13 games to go this season.

Kemp has asked the board if there is any money available to bring in players, but this goalkeeping cover seems all he'll get.

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