Team News From The Bantams Nest

Last updated : 01 January 2007 By Thetashkentterror
Colin Todd
Bradford boss Colin Todd, who was speaking to the Telegraph and Argus, talked about his side's current run of form and the shock return to action of Nathan Doyle in the 2-2 draw against Cheltenham yesterday, the on-loan Derby defender having left Belle Vue after the Boxing Day game against Doncaster in a knee brace, with initial reports predicting that he would face a minimum of two months on the sidelines :


"It is great news that Doyley is available again, not just for myself but the other players as well, we've all seen how well he has been playing and we're very pleased that he is remaining with us for the whole season. We didn't think that would be the case after what happened on Tuesday. I was told by the orthopaedic surgeon who initially examined Nathan that it was probably ligament damage that would mean at least six to eight weeks out.

"Obviously that was the bad news that I passed on to the media. And when I saw him going out of the ground with a brace on his knee then you do fear the worst. It is embarrassing for the medical people that the scan showed nothing wrong. But now we can keep Doyley for the rest of the season shows how a negative can be turned into a positive.

"I hope we can get the wide players into the game to give us that momentum. We're at our best when we've got the two widemen going up and down and creating problems. Lee Holmes has been missed but JJ (Jermaine Johnson) hasn't produced as well as we would like lately so I'm looking for him to bounce back.

"We're not scoring goals at the moment but that can change quickly. I think even Deano (Dean Windass) has dried up and since his suspension hasn't really come back as we felt he would have. But we are still a team that like to play and look to get the ball forward and providing we can do that right and create the chances then it will be fine."


In varied team news for the Bantams, City's other teenage loanee-defender Ben Parker will also be part of Todd's plans until May after the club agreed to extend his loan deal from Leeds. David Graham's loan from Sheffield Wednesday ran out on New Years Eve with the striker now returning to Hillsborough while yet another loanee in Lee Holmes, who would be registered to play at Carlisle on Monday, is still crocked with an ankle injury.

Meanwhile confusion surrounds the participation in the game of veteran City skipper and centre-half David Wetherall who was booked twice against Cheltenham yesterday, as whether or not the ban for his subsequent sending-off comes into force tomorrow or not remains to be seen. Ben Muirhead is available after serving a three-match ban for a red card in a reserves match but fellow midfielder Joe Colbeck is out with tonsillitis.


The referee for tomorrow's match is Mike Jones from Chester, and he will be assisted down the lines by Mick McDonough from Tyne and Wear and Russell Tiffin from County Durham. Meanwhile the fourth official will be Chris Brumwell from Penrith.