BULLS continue to be left frustrated over Jayden Okunbor, with the winger the headline absentee from their 20-man squad to face Widnes in the Betfred Championship this weekend.

He is set to sign permanently from Hull F.C., after a successful loan spell at Odsal, but his Visa clearance is still yet to go through, meaning he cannot play against the Vikings.

It is the second game in a row the Australian has missed for this reason, as he also had to sit out last Sunday’s narrow win over York.

Discussing the situation in midweek, Bulls head coach Eamon O’Carroll had been hopeful of a breakthrough on the Okunbor stalemate.

He told the T&A on Wednesday: “It’s an ongoing situation and we’ll find out a little bit more later today or tomorrow.

“We’re not sure of the state of play, as we’re still waiting on that Visa application.”

Liam Tindall and Max Lehmann look set to play on the wings tomorrow, with Okunbor and fellow flyer Jorge Taufua absent from the squad too due to his three-game ban for two tackling offences in the draw with Toulouse

The squad remains ravaged by injury, with Lee Gaskell, Chester Butler, Joe Arundel, Michael Lawrence, Daniel Smith, Billy Jowitt, and Jordan Baldwinson all absent for that reason.

To compound that, Ebon Scurr and Eribe Doro are also banned like Taufua for this weekend’s game in Widnes.

It means Bradford have hit the emergency button once again, bring in 19-year-old prop Zach Fishwick on an initial two-week loan from Hull KR and slotting him straight in the squad to face the Vikings.

On the injury front, the likes of Lawrence, Arundel, Gaskell and Smith have spent months out this season, a real blow given the four of them offer such rugby league experience.

And O’Carroll admitted to the T&A: “It’s been really difficult, because it’s not just that we’ve got players out injured, it’s the calibre of those who are missing.

“It’s been really disruptive, and though most teams go through it, it has been quite severe for us.

“It’s disappointing because you feel like the team isn’t getting as much rhythm as you’d want at this stage of the season.

“We totally understand why that’s the case, because we’re fighting and scrapping to bring players on loan just to field a team.”

But he added: “On the flip side of that, going through that adversity will make us stronger and better moving forward.

“The way the group have responded to that has been outstanding.

“It hurts at the moment but we’ll be better for it going forward.”