Paul Jewell says his Bradford City side will remain committed to attack against promotion challengers Bolton Wanderers despite being without deadly striker Lee Mills.

The Bantams top scorer is ruled out of the Boxing Day clash due to the red card he received in the recent 4-1 victory over Swindon Town.

Isaiah Rankin and Gordon Watson are the leading contenders to replace Mills and although Jewell has already selected the City side, he will not reveal the starting line-up.

However the City boss has pledged: "Losing Lee is a blow but it means that someone else now has a chance to establish themselves in the side. And it is a great game for them to come into the side.

"I have ummed and aahed about whether to change the shape of the side but after a lot of thinking, I believe we are at our best playing with a 4-4-2 formation.

"We are not a team who can sit back against teams otherwise we will be punished. That is why I won't be changing our style.

"It is up to us to bounce back from losing Lee. It is not only his goals which have helped, but also his work in defending crosses from the opposition."

City's first visit to the Reebok Stadium is undoubtedly the highlight of the Boxing Day programme with both sides sat in the top six at the halfway mark of the season.

The pair fought out an entertaining 2-2 draw at Valley Parade earlier in the season and with both sides among the top scorers in the First Division, a thriller looks to be in prospect.

City have no fresh injury worries ahead of the clash as they look to continue their run of three consecutive victories.

Jewell said: "I know our results have improved a lot away from home but I think we have been playing well for most of the season.

"Even when we lost at Watford and Crewe early in the season, we should have come away with the points. I think we have only failed to perform against Ipswich and Grimsby because in the other games we have played some great football.

"Earning the points away from home can make all the difference because it can make up for a disappointing display at home.

"We did just that by winning at Oxford and Swindon following our defeat at home to QPR. We want to continue that form at Bolton."

Defender Lee Todd looks like being the only addition to the City squad after recovering from a hamstring strain picked up the day before the trip to Oxford.

City: (from) Walsh, Prudhoe, Wright, Jacobs, Todd, Westwood, Moore, O'Brien, Lawrence, Beagrie McCall, Whalley, Rankin, Watson, Blake, Bolland.

Bolton: (from) Jaaskelainen, Phillips, Whitlow, Cox, Frandsen, Warhurst, Bergsson, Jensen, Gunnlaugsson, Holdsworth, Taylor, Sellers, Fish, Gardner.

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