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PARKINSON LOOKING AT HIS OPTIONS AGAIN

12 October 2015

Club News

PARKINSON LOOKING AT HIS OPTIONS AGAIN

12 October 2015

Bantams boss Phil Parkinson says he will have to look at his options again ahead of the rearranged Johnstone's Paint Trophy second round tie at home to Barnsley.

Parkinson's men will entertain Barnsley at the Coral Windows Stadium again on Tuesday after last week's original tie was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch barely five minutes before the original kick off time.

With events being brought to a halt so close to the beginning of the match, both sides had obviously already lodged their official line-ups with the match officials and the media.

Since then, however, Rory McArdle, James Meredith and Lee Evans have all returned to the training ground after international duty, meaning the trio will be available for selection once again.

Christopher Routis has a tight calf, whilst Kyel Reid is also a doubt due to a routine knee injection and a stomach bug.

Parkinson said: "Irrespective of what team we were going to play last Tuesday, we are going to pick the team we think is best for this game and that gives us the best chance of progressing.

"We have three of our players back training today (Monday) from international duty so we will see how they get on. 

"We will look how they do (in training), while also having to factor in all of the extra travelling they may have done over recent days.

"Reece Burke won't be back with us until the later part of the week but Mez (James Meredith), Rory (McArdle) and Lee Evans come back into contention for this game.

"The injection in (Kyel) Reidy's knee was nothing serious - we knew about it when he came back to us from Preston - but something like that does require a few days of inactivity.

"He has now picked up a sickness bug as well. 

"We haven't seen Kyel for a bit now so we will have to check on him tomorrow (Tuesday) before we decide what we are going to do."

Although he won't be ready for Tuesday's rearranged tie, it is hoped that Josh Morris will be fit enough to return to full training this week.

Morris has been sidelined since injuring his knee during the Fleetwood Town away fixture in the middle of last month. 

After picking up his own knee injury at the start of the season, Billy Clarke could also be back involved in training after the Wigan Athletic home game in a couple of weeks time.

Parkinson added: "Josh was due to have his final day with Matt (Barrass, Head Physio) today (Monday) so we will just see how he has gone with that.

"If everything has gone well, he should be allowed to go back into training.

"Billy's aim is to be back in training within two weeks and that will be a big boost for us.

"We just have to make sure that he is absolutely right before we get him on the pitch though."

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