Bradford City face Mansfield Town at Valley Parade on Saturday at 3pm BST in a League One Gameweek 5 clash. The Bantams lost to Cambridge United on Tuesday and are looking to regain momentum ahead of the home fixture.
Bradford City have won two, lost two and drawn none of their opening four League One games this season, leaving them with six points and sitting 11th in the table. Their recent form reads LLWW, with a goal difference of zero after scoring four and conceding four. They are currently four points behind league leaders Huddersfield Town. Manager Graham Alexander confirmed the squad is coping well after Tuesday’s defeat, saying: "We are ok at the moment, there was nothing after the game last night."
What impact will injuries and new signings have?Tyreik Wright remains sidelined following an early-season injury, but Alexander has welcomed several fresh faces into the squad. Kieran Morgan, Hayden Matthews and Corey O'Keeffe are all new signings who could feature against Mansfield Town. Alexander added regarding recent assessments: "I have not spoken to Bobby [Scarborough] after today’s session but hopefully it looks like we picked nothing up from last night."
Antoni Sarcevic, the club captain entering his third season with Bradford City, will be a key figure. The 34-year-old midfielder has played in every League One match so far this season and scored ten goals last campaign. His experience and consistency will be vital as Bradford City aim to improve on last season’s record, when they failed to beat Mansfield Town in either league fixture.
Bradford City’s possible starting XI includes McCracken in goal, backed by Touray, Gillesphey and Baldwin in defence, with Pennington and Neufville in midfield. Morgan, Connolly, Sarcevic, Pointon and Beesley are expected to complete the attacking and creative units. The match will not be broadcast live in the UK due to the 3pm Saturday blackout rule, but fans can follow updates via the club’s official channels.
Bradford City will look to secure their first win over Mansfield Town since the 2024-25 season when they host the Stags at Valley Parade on 2026-09-05.
For more on player availability, check the injuries page, and see how the squad is shaping up on the squad page. Recent performance trends can be reviewed on the stats page, while current league positioning is detailed on the standings page. Match details and scheduling are available on the fixtures page.
