Preview: MK Dons vs. Bradford City - prediction, team news, lineups

MK Dons will be desperate to avoid a tenth successive league match without tasting victory when they host Bradford City on Tuesday.

The visitors have improved in recent weeks to collect seven points from a possible nine in League Two.

Match preview

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MK Dons can only dream of producing such form at present, with their pre-season hopes of bouncing back to the second tier at the first attempt appearing doubtful after drawing four and losing five of their last nine league games.

Unsurprisingly, Graham Alexander lost his job earlier this month, but his replacement Mike Williamson failed to improve things when seeing his new side fall to a 1-0 defeat away to Accrington Stanley in his first game in charge on Saturday.

Shaun Whalley's 31st-minute strike proved to be the difference between the two sides, with MK Dons registering just one shot on target despite dominating possession with 64% of the ball.

Williamson will be demanding greater penetration from his players at Stadium MK on Tuesday, otherwise they risk being dragged even closer to the relegation zone, with their latest defeat seeing them remain only six points clear of the bottom two.

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Bradford, meanwhile, made their own managerial change earlier this month, with Mark Hughes' time in West Yorkshire coming to an end.

The former Wales boss took the Bantams to the playoff semi-final last season, but mixed results across the early weeks of the campaign convinced Bradford's board that he was no longer their man. Kevin McDonald has been drafted in as Hughes' replacement on a player-caretaker manager basis.

With seven points from his first three games, as well as a 2-1 win away to Grimsby Town in the EFL Trophy, McDonald has propelled himself as a front-runner for the job on a permanent basis. Only time will tell whether his club's hierarchy risk placing a relative rookie in charge.

In the meantime, the 34-year-old will be hoping to inflict further misery on their opponents in Buckinghamshire in midweek, with another win set to strengthen his credentials.

Team News

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Williamson could turn to Jonathan Leko as a potential solution in attack, with the former Birmingham City winger surprisingly only used from the bench during his side's defeat to Accrington.

Leko could be unleashed in a more central role alongside Mo Eisa, who has surprisingly blanked in each of his last five outings.

Bradford, meanwhile, could hand Adam Wilson a rare start after the 23-year-old came off the bench to claim a point during his side's 1-1 draw against Wrexham on Saturday.

McDonald has resisted temptation to name himself in his own matchday squad since taking charge on a caretaker basis, and with his fellow players performing so well for him, that will surely not change on Tuesday.

MK Dons possible starting lineup:

MacGillivray; O'Hora, Smith, Harvie; Norman, Williams, Gilbey, Tomlinson; Payne; Eisa, Leko

Bradford City possible starting lineup:

Lewis; Halliday, Taylor, Stubbs, Ridehalgh; Gilliead, Smallwood; Wilson, Walker, Osadeb; Cook

We say: MK Dons 1-1 Bradford City

These two sides will still hope to push for a playoff spot this season, with Bradford certainly looking more likely to achieve that based on current form.

While MK Dons surely possess too much quality for their winless streak to endure much longer, we can envisage a score draw between these sides on Tuesday.

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