Evans and Huntington in contention for Bantams in FA Cup

Graham Alexander is pondering making changes for Saturday’s FA Cup first-round home clash with Aldershot.

And the experienced duo, snapped up from free agency as injury cover, could come into the reckoning.

Northern Ireland international Evans has come off the bench four times for City so far, totalling 33 minutes of action.

He last started a game in June when he played just over an hour in an international friendly against Andorra.

Former Carlisle skipper Huntington made his City debut for the last six minutes at Tranmere. His previous start was on April 13 for the Cumbrians against Blackpool.

Alexander insists what he sees in training this week will influence his selection but both are in contention.

“There’s not a player in that squad that doesn’t want to start games,” he said.

“Vadaine (Oliver) is in that bracket and Olly Sanderson, even though he’s not been involved. They’ve all got the opportunity to play.

“There’s a difficulty with us around Hunty and Corry. We don’t really know their exact physical strength at playing full games.

“They haven’t done preseason for us and haven’t been playing for anybody.

“There’s a balance with that in my own mind but I’m sure they could both start a game.

“It’s down to them really to show us this week that they are ready to do that.

“It’s going to be an interesting week in training. A free week allows us to look at a couple of things.

“But I’m not making any promises. It could be exactly the same team.”

City, who will bank £45,000 with a win, have got through the first round only once since 2018.

Alexander, who made three changes against Doncaster, added: “We want to get back to winning ways.

“We can’t take the game or the competition lightly.

“But I’ve got to have the freedom in my head to think if there’s a player who deserves a shot in the team to play.

“That’s what this week will be about, assessing training, what the opponent will bring and where we feel we need to improve on the last performance.”

Vadaine Oliver could get the chance to start up front (Image: Thomas Gadd)

Saturday’s Yorkshire derby loss was City’s first at Valley Parade for seven months and Alexander is keen to start again with another home run.

“We were all frustrated at not taking something from the game and keeping that run going.

“We’ve looked at a couple of things we could have done better at both ends of the pitch.

“As we always do, we take full accountability as a staff and players. That’s how we have to be as a team.

“We’ve done that after any negative result and the players have always responded in the way I expect them to. They are a brilliant group to work with.

“There is no dishonesty there or ego where they don’t hold their hand up to anything where they could have done better.

“I know I make mistakes and we don’t expect them to be perfect.

“We understand that the game is about making as little amount of mistakes as possible. I just thought we made a few too many in certain aspects.

“But it’s one game and what the players did prior to that has been brilliant, certainly at Valley Parade, and I think we can do it again.”

City have already been scrutinising their National League visitors, who have won just one of their last 10 games.

“We get as much information on them as any other team we play week in, week out in the league,” said Alexander.

“The analysis side is really good nowadays across a lot of leagues. We won’t be short of information on Aldershot by the end of the week.

“We’ve harvested most of it already.”