These 2 Bradford City players have just a month to prove they are worth keeping around in January | OneFootball

Highlights

It's been a difficult start for Bradford City.

Currently, 20 games into their fifth campaign in a row in League Two, the start of the season was poor for the Bantams.

But under new boss Graham Alexander, in recent games, the West Yorkshire side have started to show signs of life as they find themselves three games unbeaten in all competitions.

However, with January fast approaching, new boss Alexander will be looking to change the roster and these players may only have a month to prove their worth to the former Salford City boss.

Alexander previously had said he believes the squad is too big and said potentially there may be a few players that leave Valley Parade.

Here are two who have just a month to prove they are worth keeping around in January.

Matt Derbyshire

The experienced forward arrived last season as a surprise addition as former boss Mark Hughes looked to bolster his frontline.

Since he arrived in West Yorkshire, Derbyshire has failed to claim a spot in the starting 11 ahead of other attacking options in Andy Cook and Tyler Smith.

Derbyshire has appeared only 20 times for the Bantams across two seasons, scoring two goals and assisting one.

His last appearance was in Graham Alexander's first game in charge, as he managed to bag himself a seven-minute cameo towards the dying embers of the game.

His last start came over two months ago in a 1-1 draw with Grimsby Town.

The signs are there that Derbyshire has fallen down the pecking order and maybe not in the former Preston North End defender's thinking as the club head into January.

He could turn things around but with the mentioned Cook and Smith picking up some form and Vadaine Oliver returning from injury, he could struggle to work his way into the team.

City could pick up a small fee for Derbyshire come January, but given his age, this may be a struggle, so a mutual termination might be an avenue they explore.

Chisom Afoka

He is a forgotten man when it comes to the Bantams this season.

The on-loan Aston Villa forward has barely featured since his arrival in the summer.

There were high hopes for Afoka when he arrived, as many hoped he would be similar to Tyreik Wright who joined from the Villains last season on loan and was a standout for the Bantams.

But unlike Wright, Afoka has failed to nail down a spot in the starting 11 and since his introduction in City's 1-1 draw with Harrogate Town, he has only featured three times since then, with all those appearances coming in the EFL Cup and the EFL Trophy.

Now Afoka could turn things around and prove his worth, earning him the chance to see out the rest of his season-long loan with the Bantams.

But with both former boss Mark Hughes and current boss Alexander looking uncertain about his involvement in the side.

This in turn could see Afoka return to his parent club in January and City look elsewhere to fill the vacant loan spot left by his departure with somebody else.