Bradford City face an anxious wait as they sweat over the fitness of the versatile Clarke Odour ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup clash with Aldershot Town.
The 25-year-old has missed the Bantams last two League Two outings after suffering a bruised shin earlier this month. He has proven to be a big loss, with the Yorkshire outfit failing to win both games in a 1-1 draw with Cheltenham Town and a 2-1 home defeat against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday.
Overall, Bradford have enjoyed a good start to the season and they currently sit in the final play-off position in seventh. They take a break from their league antics on Saturday when they welcome the National League’s Aldershot Town to Valley Parade.
They may have to do so without the services of Odour, who has played himself into contention over the course of the past couple of months. Starting the campaign on the bench, the one-time Kenyan international had started four consecutive fixtures prior to his injury.
Will Odour Return This Weekend?
Bradford manager Alexander has claimed that only the player will know if he is fit enough to feature this weekend. Via The Telegraph & Argus, the 53-year-old said:
“He’s got a bruised shin and it’s just a matter of the pain threshold and when he feels comfortable enough to train and play.
“It will be down to Clarke to declare himself fit. It’s not something that needs treating.
“It’s bruising that needs to go down but there’s a limited amount of treatment you can get for something like that.
“It’s how quickly the body heals. Players never wait for it to heal completely, it’s just whether the pain threshold is manageable and you crack on.
“That’s what players have been doing for years and they’ll have to continue to do because it’s a contact sport.”
Antoni Sarcevic, Aden Baldwin, Ciaran Kelly, Alex Pattison, Joe Adams and Neill Byrne are others that have spent time on the treatment table in recent weeks.
Writer’s View
Bradford have struggled with injuries throughout the last few weeks. However, they still remain in the upper reaches of League Two, showing their squad depth is good. Alexander will be hoping that Odour can at least make the bench on Saturday, although he will be confident that he has enough in his locker to find a way past their non-league opposition.
Head of Writing
