Gary Bowyer has called for his players to stake their claim for starting places ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Rochdale.
Bowyer’s men visit the Crown Oil Arena in their final pre-season outing on Saturday afternoon, with the action getting underway from 3.00pm.
The Bantams boss is looking for “evidence” as he considers his selection for City’s opening Sky Bet League Two clash against Cambridge United - on August 3.
Bowyer said: “Throughout the course of pre-season, I have been looking at players who can provide me with proof to suggest they should be playing every week.
“All the lads know that and trust is a massive part of it. It is a very important aspect of pre-season as we approach the start of the campaign.
“The Rochdale match gives the boys another perfect opportunity to put their efforts into practice and try to catch my attention.”
After pre-season tests against higher-league opposition in the form of Liverpool FC and Wigan Athletic, Bowyer is looking forward to another challenging run-out in Greater Manchester.
With the beginning of the 2019/20 term on the horizon, he insists the main aim against Dale is to keep his men sharp and maintain pre-season momentum.
Bowyer added: “We have played tough opposition all the way through pre-season with the intention of preparing us as best as possible for the start of the season.
“The most important thing against Rochdale is, again, to come through without any injuries.
“We are approaching the stage of pre-season where sharpness really does come into play. We will be looking to get even more minutes into the lads’ legs.
“Rochdale are going to provide us with another big test, which is exactly what we need to prepare us for the start of the season.”
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