CREWE have not ruled Oli Finney from featuring again this season, although the midfielder has suffered a setback on his road back from a leg break.

Finney was making good progress recovering from the injury sustained at Shrewsbury in early February after having an orthopaedic boot removed a few weeks ago.

But he will now need to see a specialist again after suffering some discomfort.

Alex boss Dave Artell outlined: "Oli has had a little setback. He was that eager to come back he's probably over done it. It was a bit of youthful exuberance which has got the better of him.

"But we are still hoping to see him before the end of the season, although it won't be imminently."

Crewe will assess the fitness of Callum Ainley ahead of tomorrow's visit of Oxford United (K.O 3pm) after he suffered a gashed ankle in Easter Monday's 2-0 win at Mk Dons.

Ainley is not being ruled out yet, but Artell noted: "It was a real horrific-looking injury, his ankle was the size of a balloon."

Another in the treatment room is Daniel Powell, who hasn't featured in Crewe's last four games, but Artell reports the attacker is still a couple of weeks away from making a return to action.

Oxford boss Karl Robinson courted controversy when he criticised Crewe's Covid protocols last October when the reverse fixture at the Kassam Stadium was subject to two cancellations.

But Alex boss Artell is focusing on on-the-pitch matters as he rates Oxford highly and wants his side to end an unusual sequence of back-to-back home defeats at the hands of Burton and Hull.

"They have got very good players. If you're in the play-offs one season you don't become a poor team the next. We've got to be wary of their strengths and exploit their weaknesses," said the manager as he assessed Crewe's final eight games.

"We could have a real say at both ends of the table, but we will be concentrating on ourselves and giving it our best shot to finish as high up the table as we can. If we win all eight we'll get in the play-offs, if we lose them all we'll just stay up.

"But first we've got to make sure we win all our home games."

Tomorrow's fixture offers Ollie Lancashire another opportunity to press his claims in the club's contract talks.

Lancashire, who has won his place back in the centre of defence from Middlesbrough loanee Nathan Wood, is out of contract in the summer, while defensive partner Omar Beckles will also be a free agent.

Artell is keeping his cards close to his chest, but he says he has been spending a lot of time considering his out-of-contract set and said: "I've had talks with a few of them."

On Lancashire's strong current form he added: "Ollie has been good when he has remained fit. He was good against Hull [on Good Friday] and he has been when he's been called upon.

"But I've told Nathan he'll get an opportunity too. In fact, we've got very good centre halves, we're well resourced in that area of the pitch."