OXFORD United are not intending to react to Jack Payne's recall by signing a replacement this month.

Manager Pep Clotet admitted the decision by Huddersfield Town to trigger a clause in the loan which cut the 23-year-old's loan short came out of the blue.

But with United signing attack-minded players Cameron Brannagan and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts last week, Clotet was clear on whether Payne's exit changed their plans in the January transfer window.

"No," he said.

"We have a strategy where we try to be prepared for any situation.

"In football it’s impossible to be prepared for everything, because the uncertainty is too high all the time.

"You use transfer windows to have a long-term thinking in place - that’s what we’ve done.

"We have Buckley-Ricketts coming here on loan to show himself and see if he can help us.

"The likes of Cameron Brannagan coming here is someone who can help us going forward."

Many supporters were surprised to see Payne join another Sky Bet League One club in Blackburn Rovers.

But Clotet believes the deal with the Lancashire club, who are well-placed in the promotion race, may well include a provision to make the move permanent in the summer.

He said: "I don’t know the deal exactly between Blackburn and Huddersfield, but I would imagine there’s something else behind that.

"It did come out of the blue for me.

"I got an email from Darryl (Eales, chairman) on Sunday evening saying he had heard from Jack’s agent he could be recalled on Monday.

"It was a little bit of a blow because Jack looked happy and he was having a great time.

"He was helping us but now it’s about looking forward and wishing him the best.

"I’m pretty sure he would have loved to stay, but that’s the game."

As things stand, there is also no intention of recalling Kane Hemmings from Mansfield Town.

The Stags boss Steve Evans said this morning the striker would be staying for the rest of the season as planned and while Clotet was not as emphatic, only a crisis this month would change his mind. 

The United manager said: "You never know in case of injuries or there’s a move, but I don’t expect it.

"I value what he’s doing there.

"He’s helping Mansfield a lot and everything that comes from Steve Evans is very positive about him, so I respect that."