Bradford City look to bolster their play-off push by upsetting the odds against Walsall

The Bantams have collected four wins from their past six league games to climb to within just a single point of the top seven. 

Each of those wins have also come at Valley Parade, with only Walsall (35) registering more points on home soil than Graham Alexander's outfit (27) this term. 

Alexander has also made some difficult selection calls with Neil Byrne and Jamie Walker missing the back-to-back wins over Grimsby Town and Carlisle United respectively. 

And the Bradford boss has welcomed competition for places across his squad after a return upturn in fortunes.

"The days have long gone of 13-14 players playing a whole season. They are in the past," he told Telegraph & Argus.

"The best way for players to give themselves the best chance of playing week in, week out, is to be the best version of yourself physically, technically, tactically, the lot. 

"Tick every box and you give yourself the best chance of starting more games."

Bradford remain in strong form, having gone unbeaten in five games across all competitions, despite losing leading marksman Andy Cook to an ACL injury on New Year's Day. 

Cook, who scored 18 goals during his only season at Bescot in 2018-19, had found the net 12 times in League Two this term. 

He has also scored six goals in his 10 meetings against Walsall since his departure in 2019 although the goal scoring onus will now rest on the shoulders of Callum Kavanagh.

Kavanagh netted only his third league goal of the campaign with the only goal at Carlisle last weekend and also scored in the 3-1 win at Aston Villa under-21s in the EFL Trophy last week.