OXFORD United’s promising start looks certain to be tested by a difficult run of games, but head Michael Appleton’s message is clear – no-one will look forward to playing his side right now.

From the moment the fixtures were released in June, this fortnight stood out as an early examination of the squad’s credentials.

Sunday’s trip to Bristol Rovers, never straightforward but made tougher by their momentum following promotion, is followed by a visit to Northampton Town and a home game against Portsmouth.

It is as tough a three-match run as United may face all season, but the head coach is quick to see it from the other side of the dressing room wall.

“I do say to the players quite a lot if there’s ever a situation where you’re thinking ‘oh, we’re going to Luton’ I just say ‘put yourself in their dressing room, just for one minute’.

“Think about what they’re thinking ten minutes before we go out to play them.

“Are they worried about Danny Hylton? Of course they’re worried about Danny Hylton.

“Are they worried about Kemar? Of course they are.

“Are they aware of the quality we’ve got in the middle of the park and the fact we look like we’re going to keep clean sheets?

“They are the questions I ask of the players quite a lot. Put yourself in their dressing room and the questions they are asking themselves.

“If we turn up today they know they are going to be in for a right game.”

With the exception of Sky Bet League Two leaders Leyton Orient, Sunday’s game is arguably a clash of the clubs with the most momentum in the division.

United will arrive with a 13-game unbeaten run which stretches back to March, while Rovers are still benefitting from the optimism generated by victory in May’s Vanarama Conference play-off final.

Appleton is aware the visitors are coming up against a side who will not be short on confidence.

He said: “They have done really well to win three games so far and Darrell (Clarke, Rovers manager) will be absolutely delighted with the start they’ve had getting back into the Football League.

“They will have fantastic support on the day, as they always do.

“To get promotion the way they did, via the play-off final, people tell me there’s no better way of doing it.

“They must be on Cloud Nine still from the back end of last season and they’ve taken that into this campaign.

“They will be delighted with the start they’ve made and will be looking to improve on that on Sunday.”

The fixture comes at the end of United’s first blank midweek of the season.

It has offered the squad an opportunity to rest and spend quality sessions on the training ground, almost for the first time since pre-season.

For Appleton it has been a chance for everyone to take stock.

He said: “We’ve done a bit of re-evaluating – what’s gone well and what hasn’t gone well?

“It’s been a case of ‘job done for the first five’ but we’re not going to start applauding ourselves.

“We just make sure we change the focus to the next five.”