HE MIGHT be a rookie in first-team terms but Millwall youngster Sid Nelson is known to City.

The young centre half’s debut against Bournemouth last week was hailed by boss Ian Holloway as the one bright spot in another depressing afternoon for the sinking Lions.

Holloway believes the 18-year-old represents the “future of the club” and has already confirmed that he will play against the Bantams tomorrow.

But Nelson has faced City in knock-out action before – even though he did not last the full game.

Nelson was skipper of the Millwall academy side that beat the Bantam under-18s in last season’s FA Youth Cup.

The Lions proved too streetwise that night and won 3-0 at Valley Parade but Nelson was sent off late in the game for a second booking.

He will be the first name on the team sheet to face the senior side and in there on merit.

Holloway confirmed: “Sid Nelson was my best player last weekend so he’ll definitely play.

“He showed everyone else how it should be.

“We’ll need to play as well as we can against Bradford because they are in really good form.

“I’ll put out a full-strength team and I won’t put some youngsters in just for the sake of it.”

Predicting the Millwall line-up will be tough – Holloway has a tendency to make five or six changes every week as he tries to find a winning formula.

But City can expect to find themselves up against former Halifax hitman Lee Gregory, the former electrician who has adapted well to the jump from Conference to Championship football.

Gregory, who was watched several times by City scouts, is Millwall’s top scorer with four. But it has been a thankless task at times playing on his own up front in a team that have struggled to create chances.

Holloway is planning a busy January to drag the club away from the bottom three and has already made his first signing.

Wycombe winger Paris Cowan-Hall will join Millwall tomorrow when the transfer window opens for an undisclosed fee. But he cannot feature against the Bantams because he has appeared in an earlier round.