Cheltenham Town have confirmed the postponement of their fixture at Oxford United on the 25th of March due to international call-ups.
The Robins have had three first-team players called up to represent their countries during the upcoming international break and have been granted permission by the EFL to rearrange the fixture.
Elkan Baggott, on loan from fellow League One club Ipswich Town, has been called up to represent his native country Indonesia, while midfielder Elliot Bonds makes his way into the Guyana squad and goalkeeper Luke Southwood, who is on loan from Championship outfit Reading earns himself a spot in the Northern Ireland squad.
Cheltenham currently occupies 17th position in League One with 10 games left to play and play host to Exeter City this weekend. The Robins have taken seven points from a possible nine in their last three fixtures as well as three clean sheets in a row for the club, taking them to 14 for the season.
It is very rare to see a club in the third tier having a game postponed due to international call-ups, however, this is not the first time Cheltenham have had a game postponed due to international fixtures, the last time it happened was 20 years ago, against Luton Town on 29th March 2023 when last season’s manager, Michael Duff, who is now in charge at Barnsley, was included in a Northern Ireland squad. The other player missing that fixture was Shane Duff who was called up to the Northern Ireland Under-21 side.
The fixture at Oxford United will now take place on Tuesday, April 25th, before Cheltenham’s final two fixtures at Wycombe Wanderers and then going on to finish the season at home to Charlton Athletic.
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Many would find it absurd to see a game called off for three players being missing, however, the lower tiers are known for how limited squads can be for teams, and Cheltenham finds themselves with a low squad depth.
The quality of players missing is a key factor here for this fixture being postponed, Elliot Bonds has played in 29 fixtures and can easily be called a key player for the club despite only scoring once this season. Elkan Baggott is a new arrival at Whaddon Road, however, has only featured once since joining on loan from Ipswich, he was involved in Monday’s Gloucestershire Senior Challenge Cup victory over Bristol Rovers.
The biggest loss during this international break has to be the goalkeeper, Luke Southwood, the 25-year-old has played in all 36 games for the club in the league this season, and his 14 clean sheets are proof of his importance to the team. The Robins would find themselves in a worse position without him, making him a huge loss should the game have gone ahead next weekend.
