After 15 league games, Lincoln sat in 12th place, but a return of three points from their last seven league matches has left the Imps languishing in 21st position.
On Saturday, Michael Appleton’s side will return to action for the first time since Boxing Day due to a couple of coronavirus-related postponements.
The Lincoln boss will hope that the new year brings about a change of fortunes, with his side looking for their first league win since a 2-1 away victory over Wigan Athletic on October 26.
Having failed to score in nine of their league games this season, Lincoln need to improve in the final third if they are to avoid the drop.
Appleton will be fully aware that the Imps also need to pick up more points on home turf after winning just two home league games this season.
Meanwhile, Appleton’s former side will be hoping to pile more misery upon Lincoln, as Oxford look to extend their unbeaten away league run to seven matches.
The U’s head into the contest in fifth place, and with a six-point gap separating themselves and the top two, Oxford may still harbour hopes of joining the race for automatic promotion.
Their superb recent run of form suggests that Karl Robinson’s side are worthy promotion contenders, with the U’s suffering just one defeat in their previous 12 league games.
In their last outing, Robinson’s men looked to be heading towards a 1-0 defeat at home to Cheltenham Town after Callum Wright had given the Robins the lead, but Oxford salvaged a point courtesy of Mark Sykes’s 82nd-minute equaliser.
Oxford will now turn their attention to Saturday’s away trip, and the visitors will be confident of troubling the scorers after failing to score in only two of their 10 league away games
