Preview: Bradford City vs Doncaster Rovers - prediction, team news, lineups

Fighting at opposite ends of the League One table, Bradford City and Doncaster Rovers will meet for an important Yorkshire derby on Saturday.

The hosts have suffered three straight defeats to fall behind the top two, while their visitors moved within touching distance of safety with a midweek win.

Match preview

Bradford City return to League One action on Saturday aiming to get their League One promotion bid back on track after a tough run in recent weeks.

After sealing their return to England's third tier last time around, the Bantams enjoyed a seamless transition, establishing themselves in the top-two race as they amassed 43 points from their first 22 games, winning 12 and losing just three of those.

They have since hit their toughest patch of the campaign, though, losing four of their five league outings in January, with the only victory in that time falling between defeats to Mansfield Town and Cardiff City.

Then on the back of a 1-0 derby loss to Huddersfield Town last weekend, Graham Alexander's men visited second-placed Lincoln City on Tuesday and failed to climb back towards the top two, instead succumbing to a 3-0 beating with Freddie Draper, Jack Moylan and Ben House scoring for the hosts.

The dip in form leaves Bradford City fifth in League One, nine points behind the automatic promotion spots and four above seventh spot, and they will hope to bounce back and stop their slide on Saturday.

That will be no easy task, though, as the visitors arrive with renewed optimism.

Having also won promotion from League Two last term, Doncaster Rovers now find themselves battling to maintain their third-tier status, having dropped into the relegation zone following a dismal run of form between mid-September and the end of the year.

After that plummet, as they collected just six points from a 16-game span, Grant McCann's side appear to have turned a corner early in the new year, drawing two and winning two of their last four league outings, having shared the points with Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic either side of a crucial away win over AFC Wimbledon.

Then aiming to continue a climb towards safety, the Rovers hosted Leyton Orient on Tuesday and prevailed in style, dishing out a 3-0 victory having led by two at the break through Owen Bailey and Luke Molyneux before Bailey put the game out of sight with his second of the game early in the second half.

Having now rebuilt confidence and climbed to 21st spot thanks to their upturn in form, now only adrift of safety on goal difference, Doncaster Rovers will aim to continue their improvement and come out on top at the University of Bradford Stadium.

Bradford City League One form:

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Doncaster Rovers League One form:

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Doncaster Rovers form (all competitions):

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Team News

Bradford City are set to remain without attackers Will Swan and Nick Powell on Saturday due to ongoing injuries.

Stephen Humphrys may again lead the line in Swan's absence, while Bobby Pointon will hope to return to the attack from the outset having managed seven league goals thus far in an injury-hit season.

Callum Kavanagh is also hoping to return to the starting XI in the front line, while Josh Neufville was displaced by Harrison Ashby in a wing-back role in midweek.

Doncaster Rovers may be unchanged from their 3-0 midweek win, with Ben Close remaining confined to the treatment room.

Captain Owen Bailey moved forward and back into the midfield for that game and scored his ninth and 10th league goals of the season, and the talismanic captain should again be joined in the centre by Robbie Gotts and Harry Clifton.

Alongside Clifton, Luke Molyneux and Hakeeb Adelakun should again support front man Francis Okoronkwo, despite attacking competition from Billy Sharp, Glenn Middleton and Jordan Gibson.

Bradford City possible starting lineup:

Walker; Pennington, Tilt, Kelly; Neufville, Power, Metcalfe, Touray; Kavanagh, Humphrys, Pointon

Doncaster Rovers possible starting lineup:

Clark; Sterry, Byrne, McGrath, Senior; Gotts, Bailey; Molyneux, Clifton, Adelakun; Okoronkwo

We say: Bradford City 1-1 Doncaster Rovers

Despite their contrasting campaigns following promotion to League One, Saturday's game should certainly be a tight one, with Doncaster regaining confidence and Bradford losing ground in the promotion race.

The hosts do still have the quality to hurt their visitors, as they have shown for the majority of the season, and we see a share of the points as the most likely outcome at the University of Bradford Stadium.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.