Sutton starts: The predicted Bradford City XI to face Colchester on Wednesday night | OneFootball

Midtable side Bradford City will be hoping to get themselves back on track as they return to League Two action tomorrow night to face Hayden Mullins’ Colchester United at the Utilita Energy Stadium.

Winless in their previous five league games, claiming just four points from a possible 15 during this torrid run, the gap between Derek Adams’ men and the play-offs is widening with six points now separating them and Harrogate Town in seventh.

Although it could be much worse considering their recent form, the predicament the Bantams find themselves in is disappointing, not least for manager Adams who dropped down from promotion-winners Morecambe to join the West Yorkshire outfit in the summer.

Quiz: Has Andy Cook ever scored a goal for Bradford City at each of these 26 stadiums?

However, the small deficit they need to make up to enter the promotion mix again should be a real source of encouragement for a side widely tipped for a return to the third tier before the start of the campaign.

They will need to improve their fortunes tomorrow night though to re-establish themselves as promotion contenders against a Colchester side that will have benefitted richly from their FA Cup tie against third-tier giants Wigan Athletic despite losing 2-1 at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Three points on the board this midweek could be crucial in their quest to secure a more comfortable finish than they were able to achieve last term, finishing just six points off the drop zone in the end.

Bradford will be the favourites coming into this one with the home advantage and their superior league position though – and ahead of this tie – we have predicted how the hosts may line up ahead of this one.

With various injury concerns in the home side’s camp, their starting lineup remains unchanged from the one that faced Exeter City in the FA Cup at the weekend.

Richard O’Donnell starts as the ever-present figure between the sticks and this is probably a wise idea. Changing the shot-stopper in what could be a crucial match for Adams’ future at the club with the heat on him may come back to haunt the 46-year-old.

However, he needs to repay his boss’ faith in him, along with Liam Ridehalgh, Paudie O’Connor, Niall Canavan and Oscar Threlkeld in the backline.

The Irish centre-back pairing of O’Connor and Canavan may have already contributed goals to their side’s cause this season, but they need to continue being a threat in the absence of star forward Andy Cook.

Two players that have to be included in this lineup are Yann Songo’o and Levi Sutton, with the duo forming a good partnership in the middle of the park and they could be key to the Bantams’ success tomorrow evening.

Scoring twice in the league from central midfield already this season, can Sutton get himself on the scoresheet again?

That remains to be seen, but the pair’s chemistry may push Scottish youth international Elliot Watt out wide, stepping in whilst Abo Eisa remains on the sidelines. Worryingly, the latter may need surgery which would keep him out for an extended period of time.

The one bit of good news for them is the fact Callum Cooke is in line to start – and looking at the number of key passes he has made this season – he probably deserves to be on more than four assists for the campaign so far.

One man that does need to step up to the plate though is Alex Gilliead who has recorded just two goal contributions in the fourth tier so far this season, not the most impressive statistic considering he’s played 19 times.

And in the absence of star man Cook, summer Lee Angol starts once again. He will never have a better opportunity to make his mark at the club after signing a reasonably short-term deal, so he needs to take this chance with both hands.