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Stuart McCall looking for strong performance as Bantams host Gills

By Andrew Smith

Charlie Wyke is expected to be thrown straight into the action this Saturday as the Bantams take on Gillingham.

Wkye joined the club on deadline day for a fee reported to be around £250,000, the clubs most expensive signing since 2000, when Ashley Ward joined the club for £1.5 million.

Loanee Kevin Toner could also make his debut in claret and amber. The 20-year-old Irish defender already has a couple of Premier League appearances for Aston Villa.

Rory McArdle is a doubt for the game following an injury during the Checkatrade Trophy game at Oxford United. The defender suffered a head cut and will be assessed before the fixture. Matthew Killgallon, 33, will not feature as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury.

On the fixture, Bantams manager Stuart McCall said: “We’re at home, so we focus on what we can do, if we go out and put a strong performance in we’re always confident we can beat anybody.”


Gillingham, who are currently having a disappointing season, could call upon loanee’s Harry Cornick and Joe Quigley. The pair joined on deadline day from Bournemouth.

Chris Herd, who suffered a concussion during the Gills’ visit to Bramall Lane, could miss out again as he recovers. Bradley Garmston, Lee Martin and Aaron Morris continue to recover from injuries and are not expected to feature.

On the visit to Valley Parade, Gills boss Adrian Pennock said: “You have to play the game not the occasion, you’ve got to try make those 20,000 fans very quiet.”

The two clubs played out a 1-1 draw earlier in the season. Cody McDonald opened the scoring for the Gills, before Jordy Hiwula stole a point for the West Yorkshire side.

Bradford will hope their new signings can instigate a run of form, the Bantams currently sit 5th in the table, eight points off the top two.

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