DAVID Hopkin is seriously considering the possibility of trying for a couple more free agents as a quick fix for City until the transfer window.

The Bantams boss is desperate to get to work in January at remoulding the squad he inherited from Michael Collins.

He has already used the free-agent market to bring in midfielder Jim O’Brien, who made a combative start before joining the club’s lengthy casualty list.

But with the next loan and permanent market still over two months away, Hopkin knows depleted City need another boost now after a fourth successive defeat against Coventry on Tuesday dumped them to the bottom of League One.

Injuries and suspensions continue to hit hard with team selection – the latest Valley Parade loss cost City George Miller, Ryan McGowan and Alex Jones for the weekend clash at Gillingham.

Hopkin has Sean Scannell back in the reckoning after serving his three-game ban for the stoppage-time red card against Sunderland.

But the head coach admits the situation remains one where he is scratching around each week to find a competitive line-up – and the lack of options means he has to field players out of position.

Hopkin, whose nine league games in charge have yielded just four points, said: “It comes down to recruitment.

“We’re down to kids, shoehorning players into the team which is very difficult.

“You ask any manager, they’ve got a squad they feel comfortable with and know how they want to play.

“At this moment in time, we’re trying to put square pegs in round holes.

“You’re asking George Miller to play wide right the other night, which he can’t really do, because we haven’t got anybody else who can do it.

“That’s where we are just now and it’s difficult.

“I can’t fault the players. They are giving me everything.

“But sometimes you’re asking players to work out of position and it’s not comfortable for them.”

McGowan and Miller are both suspended for the Priestfield trip. It was confirmed yesterday that the latter had received a second yellow card for handball which meant the club could not appeal it.

Meanwhile the jinxed Jones is back on the treatment table after suffering a hamstring injury when he came on as sub.

Hopkin added: “We’re getting one player back and we’ve got another two or three out.

“We’ve never had a clear run of anybody injury-wise that’s going to help us.”

Back-to-back home defeats this week have further deflated the mood around Valley Parade and Hopkin has a job on his hands to lift the squad again.

But he feels too many of their setbacks have been self-inflicted.

“Stop conceding poor goals and we’ll give ourselves a chance,” he said.

“Even last Saturday, we should have had a clean sheet against Rochdale. We should have come away with a 0-0.

“Then we’re 2-0 down inside 10 minutes against Coventry. You should be able to see out the first 10-15 minutes, especially at home.

“It’s one mistake again with the header back across goal from the corner and then it’s a fantastic free-kick. But we need to do better than that.

“We played some good football after but we’re beating ourselves.”