Stuart McCall has admitted City have missed out on a striker target.

But he could still have "one or two" new faces in for the Macclesfield game.

The Bantams boss had lined up a loan move for a pacy young striker and hoped to clinch the deal today.

But the player's club pulled the plug after an unexpected injury elsewhere left them short.

McCall said: "We got told the striker would be available and for nothing but at the last minute the other club back-tracked. Another lad got injured so they didn't want to let anyone go out.

"It's frustrating but sometimes you are just unlucky like that. Deals do break down; look at what happened with Kieron Dyer.

"That was at the top end of the market but it does happen to everyone and just have to get on with it. Circumstances outside your control can affect things so you look elsewhere.

"I'm hopeful there will be one or maybe two new signings on a loan basis before Saturday and then we've still got two or three weeks to bring someone in permanently. We've got a few irons in the fire.

"It would be nice to get somebody in for the opening game but we want to make the right decision. We had to bide our time with the likes of Hecky (Paul Heckingbottom), Paul Evans and Darren Williams and we're pleased with them."

McCall will make a decision on Alex Rhodes later in the week after watching him in a practice game on the training ground.

  • City will find out their first-round opponents in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy on Saturday. The draw is regionalised but they cannot meet Leeds, who have been awarded a bye.