Town welcome back John McGreal to the squad for the visit of Bradford on Saturday. The central defender is over his calf injury while Chris Bart-Williams is OK after suffering with his recurring back problem.

McGreal has trained all week and is likely to return in place of Richard Naylor alongside Drissa Diallo at the centre of defence.

Bart-Williams was back in Thursday training, which means only Chris Makin and Fabian Wilnis remain on the sidelines.

Makin has his painkilling injection in his pelvic area yesterday and will train next week. If he comes through unscathed then he could be back in first team action soon, however if he is still not over the problem, he faces a second operation and will be out for the season.

Wilnis is progressing well after picking up a shoulder injury at Coventry and should be back in a fortnight or so, which is near the low end of his expected four to six week absence.

Pablo Couñago missed training on Monday with a dead leg but returned later in the week and has felt no effects. The Spaniard is likely to be on the bench with Darren Bent and Shefki Kuqi making up the front pairing.

Striker Dean Bowditch was not thought to be available on Saturday due to his call-up to the England U19s ahead of their match in Holland next Wednesday, however, he is included in the squad.

Returning loanee Alun Armstrong will not be involved on Saturday after picking up an injury in training. He is likely to return to Bradford next week.

Manager Joe Royle says his squad is probably at its most injury free so far this season: “We're getting stronger, although we're still a little bit unbalanced, Fabian and Chris Makin being injured means we haven't got a right-back on the books.”

Lowly Bradford look to be there for the taking, but Royle cautiously recalls a recent shock pulled off by the Bantams: “I think Norwich thought that a few weeks ago, so you can't say that. Anyone can beat anyone else in this division. We've seen daft games here this season, too many for my liking.

“The facts are that after the worst start in the club's history, we're still three points off third place. We've had a lot of lack of faith and criticism since last week, and I wasn't happy after the game, but the bare facts are there that we are in with a great chance, despite what some people will tell you.

“On Saturday we're looking for a double, we've already beaten them there, but more importantly we're looking for a home win and a good performance after last week when we got neither.

“We feel we let ourselves down, but you've got to counter that by saying that Wigan were very good. I don't think they will have played better this year, but that's no good to us, we don't like losing games.”

Youngster Matt Richards was one of a number of players to come under fire after Saturday's loss to Wigan and Royle admits that in other circumstances he would have been given a rest: “I would have done by now if we'd had Chris Makin fit.

“But we've been waiting for Chris to be fit, first before and then after Christmas, and now we're at the situation where he might be within seven days of not playing again this season.

“Matt's stuck at it, he's not been in vintage form but he's going to be a good player, he's just maybe a little tired at the moment.”

Royle says that young right-back Scott Mitchell has come into his thoughts as a potential replacement for Fabian Wilnis: “He's there or thereabouts, although I haven't totally decided on the team on Saturday, but he's certainly in my mind.”

Bradford are without a number of players in addition to Alun Armstrong, which has stretched an already small squad. Keeper Alan Combe is facing a three-match ban after a sending off at Gillingham while their other senior stopper, New Zealander Mark Paston, is unfit due to a groin surgery.

Manager Bryan Robson has brought in Birmingham stopper Nico Vaesen as cover on a month's loan.

Defenders Simon Francis and Jason Gavin, and midfielder Ben Muirhead, have all accumulated five bookings and also miss the trip to Suffolk.

The problems don't stop there, with Danny Cadamarteri and Dean Windass still on the way back from injury.

Saturday's referee is Joe Ross from London. He has shown 64 yellow and just two red cards in 21 games this season. He has not previously officiated in a Town game.

Squad: Bart-Williams, Bent, Bowditch, Couñago, Davis, Diallo, Kuqi, Magilton, McGreal, Miller, Naylor, Price, Reuser, Richards, Santos, Westlake and Wright.

Photo: Action Images

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