Wanderers Head Coach Steven Schumacher is relishing Saturday’s Sky Bet League One fixture as the Whites aim for a ninth successive home victory when Bradford City visit the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
It’s fourth against third this weekend as Graham Alexander’s Bantams, a point and a place above the Whites, are the next opponents for Schumacher’s side.
Following last weekend’s international break, a crowd of over 25,000 supporters will welcome Wanderers back to BL6.
Previewing the contest, Schumacher hopes his squad can carry on their current form, but he is expecting a tough game against the men from West Yorkshire.
Schumacher told Wanderers TV: “We’re all ready for the game at the weekend. I’m expecting a really tough game, they have been excellent since they’ve been promoted.
“They were super-strong at the start of the season, they picked up loads of good results and were top of the league for a long time, they’ve been really good.
“We expect it to be a tough game, they are just above us in the table at the minute so it shows how well they have done so we have to make sure that we’re ready and prepared in what’s going to be a difficult match, and try and play the way that we can play that we feel as though can hurt them.
“I know Graham Alexander very well, he’s an old manager of mine and I know he’ll be fully prepared and ready to try and get back on track for them.”
The Head Coach has a full squad to select from after a positive week of training at Lostock.
Schumacher continued: "We’ve had a full contingent out on the training pitch so we have 100% availability so that’s been positive.
“We’ve got to a point at this stage where everyone is fit, which is great. It gives me selection problems and I’ll have to pick a starting 11 and I bench that I think will impact the game, but I think we’ve had that over the last few games and the last few weeks, where we’ve had real positive impacts from lads who have come off the bench, and that’s what you need.
“You need people trying to contribute even when you’re not selected, not getting too down if you’re not in matchday squads and keep trying to do the right things for as long as possible because football changes quickly.
“It’s just being consistent with your messaging, plan the same way as what we always do even when we had five draws on the spin and a couple of away defeats here and there, we never came away from what the objective was and kept reviewing and analysing our performances and speaking about what we were doing well, even in those moments where we weren’t winning games.
“We’ve managed to win the last few games and have got into some sort of momentum, but nothing has changed from how we prepare, so once the players get into that rhythm, they feel the benefit of that and hopefully we see the benefit of that in the results.”
Schumacher believes that Wanderers' supporters can play a vital part from the stands and get behind the lads.
He added: “It will be a good crowd, a good atmosphere and hopefully it will be an entertaining game that we can get the result from.
“If we can stay at the top end of the division, hopefully the crowds can continue to grow and when you get a big away following like Bradford are going to bring, that adds a bit more excitement and intensity.
“It’s over to the players. If we get on top of the game and if we can score the first goal and use that crowd like we did in the Cardiff game who stayed with us until the very end, that’s going to be so important and if we can use that energy it gives us a better chance to win, so that’s what we want.”
Watch Steven’s full pre-match interview on Wanderers TV by clicking here!
Limited tickets remain available for Saturday’s game to official Club Members by clicking here.