Bantams boss Peter Jackson spoke to his club's official website ahead of his side's final pre-season friendly at home to the Blues on Saturday, Jackson now fully looking towards the start of the Football League campaign a week tomorrow :
"We are probably going to use this match as a chance to get the lads set up and ready for next Saturday. We will try to put out quite a strong side and, unlike some of our other friendlies, we will probably be looking not to make too many substitutes during the game.We have one or two injury problems - Steve Williams is still doubtful with the thigh problem he picked up at Hull - so we have one or two issues there.
"Ritchie Jones probably still won't be ready for Saturday, but there's nothing we can do about that - every team gets injury problems I suppose. Hopefully, we will be able to put out one of our stronger-looking sides on Saturday, one that will be able to compete with a very decent side like Carlisle. We know it will be a tough match for us this weekend and it will be a good test to get us focused for the season ahead.
"I've known Greg Abbott since he was an 18-year old coming to the club from Coventry. He's obviously grown up a lot since I first knew him back then and has gone on to become a terrific manager for Carlisle. In my eyes, he probably should go down as a Bradford City legend for the service that he gave to this football club. He probably isn't held in the same high regard as someone like Stuart McCall or other players from around that era, but he was a true unsung hero, and still deserves a lot of credit for the effort and endeavour he put in for this club."
As Jackson points out City are likely to be without central midfielder Ritchie Jones (calf) and centre-half Steve Williams (thigh) tomorrow afternoon, while another central defender in Luke Oliver is still working his way back to fitness following a foot injury and right-back Simon Ramsden has also been absent recently with a groin muscle problem.
Aside from that quartet of players, City yesterday signed Liverpool's 21-year old Danish goalkeeper Martin Hansen on a one-month loan deal, while trialist, and ex-Rotherham left-back, Jamie Green has this week had his spell with the Bantams extended by another seven days as he looks to earn a permanent deal. One player definitely on the Bantams books this season though is former Carlisle winger Nahki Wells who last week signed a one-year deal at the Valley Parade outfit following a successful trial spell.
City themselves have had a five game pre-season campaign so far in which they started off with a 7-1 win 20 miles or so down the Aire Valley at Silsden before they drew 1-1 further away at Matlock and then won 3-2 at local side Guiseley. Much stronger opposition then came calling to Bradford though as Bolton defeated the Bantams 4-1 last Saturday, and then on Wednesday came City's penultimate game of the 2011-12 pre-season friendly campaign when they went down 3-1 on the road at Hull City.
As for the game itself tomorrow, which kicks off at 3pm at the Coral Windows Stadium on Saturday, two stands will be in use. Home fans being housed in the Co-operative Main Stand, while United supporters will be allocated the Betrescue (Midland Road) Stand. All spectators tomorrow being seated on an unreserved basis with pay on the gate admission (no advance tickets sales) costing £10 for adults and £5 for concessions.