BRADFORD CITY AFC

Bantams boss Phil Parkinson has admitted that striker Aaron Mclean has an outside chance of making the bench for Saturday's League 1 opener with Coventry City at the Coral Windows Stadium.

Mclean didn't play a single minute of pre-season action after damaging his calf around a month ago but the forward has returned to training this week and could yet force himself into the reckoning if he doesn't suffer any set-backs.

Should Mclean make it through to the end of this week without any recurrence of the old calf problem, Parkinson says that the 31 year-old will be contention for one of City's substitute spots against the Sky Blues.

Parkinson has warned fans, however, not to expect too much, too soon from Mclean, stating that any involvement from the striker during the Coventry fixture would only come in the final stages of the game.

Parkinson said: "Aaron has missed five weeks of pre-season with the injury, so he has a lot of work to do to start a game.

"Having said that, if he has come through today (Thursday) ok and tomorrow, we'll have a sit down and think about the possibility of maybe putting him on the bench for Saturday.

"That would only be as an option for ten or fifteen minutes at the end of the game.

"I wouldn't risk him for any longer than that at this stage."