Charlton can’t afford any slip-ups in their four remaining “banana skins” if they are to achieve promotion according to Lee Bowyer.

With Barnsley, Sunderland, Portsmouth and Charlton separated by four points from second to fifth, assuming Sunderland or Portsmouth win their game in hand, the battle for automatic promotion is expected to go down to the wire.

Now the form team after ending Luton’s 28-game unbeaten run and extending their own to 11 without defeat, Charlton are heavy favourites in each of their remaining ties against Scunthorpe, Gillingham, Rochdale, and in Friday's visit to Karl Robinson’s Oxford United, but Bowyer knows football doesn’t always follow the form guide.

“All games now are banana skins!” he said.

“There’s no easy ones, that’s for everyone.

“Luton will go up, so there’s four teams chasing that second spot, all we can do is be there and if they don’t capitalise on their opportunity then we will be there to grab it.

“We just have to do, what we do.”

READ: Oxford and Scunthorpe ties come too soon for returning Charlton pair

'Football is 90% Off The Cuff'

First of the four fixtures sees Bowyer pitted against his predecessor Karl Robinson as the Addicks take on a U’s side who are comfortably in mid-table.

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In the previous meeting Oxford left The Valley with a point after Robinson set his side out to frustrate as he mirrored Charlton’s midfield diamond in a 1-1 draw, not that Bowyer believes tactics is the be all and end all.

“People get carried away with formations and all the other stuff.

“The most important thing is you do the right things as players, 90% is off the cuff!

“I can’t tell the players ‘you’re going to be in this exact situation, or that exact situation.’

“The training we do is to try and prepare them for all situations, whether they’re in a tight spot or if they have time on the ball, and then you hope the work we are doing with them makes them make the right decision.

“You play these formations and try and get an edge on someone here or there, but there’s nothing we can do other than work on the training ground to make the right decision.

“If you get to the final third are you going to pick someone out or are you going to keep hitting the defender, if you keep hitting the defender we aren’t going to score goals, that the case for whatever formation you’re going to play!”

READ: Former Addick impressed by Charlton star ON and OFF the pitch