BRADFORD’S joint boss Conor Sellars is far from surprised by Wanderers’ rapid rise up the League Two table.

The sides meet at Valley Parade tomorrow as the form teams in the fourth tier – the Bantams having won their last five and the Whites six on the spin.

The upturn in fortunes saw Sellars and Mark Trueman handed the permanent job after a successful spell in caretaker and then interim charge following Stuart McCall’s departure in December.

Now they will look to derail Bolton’s march into the League Two play-offs, with Sellars, the son of former Wanderers favourite Scott, under no illusions about the task ahead for his side.

“When you see their team, there are a lot of good players and threats,” he said.

“We’re not surprised that they are in form and have found their way. They are in unbelievable form.

“They are confident and have found a way of playing that suits them.

“It’s going to be a different challenge to most teams.

“They have got that style of play of possession but are happy to mix it up as well and go a little bit more direct, especially in recent weeks.

“We’re going to do our homework to make sure that we know as much as we can.”

Similarly to Wanderers, Bradford’s rise from the doldrums to 10th, three points outside the play-offs, has been boosted by a busy January transfer window.

The sides are virtually unrecognisable from the ones that met twice earlier in the season, the Bantams winning Ian Evatt’s first game in charge in the EFL Cup before Bolton got a measure of revenge with a 1-0 League Two win at the end of October.

A hectic start to the year saw attacking options in Oldham’s Danny Rowe, Mansfield’s Andy Cook, Burton’s Charles Vernam and Wigan’s Ollie Crankshaw all come through the arrivals door.

One player who will not feature tomorrow is Harry Pritchard, the midfielder set to be ruled out for the season as he needs back surgery.

Sellars said: “He’s been to see a specialist and they are going to be able to sort out his injury.

“The bad news is that he’s going to be out for a period of time.

“He is going to undergo surgery which will probably put him out for the rest of the season.

“The communication is key from the staff at the club in making sure he feels that we’re there to look after him and support him in the good times and the bad.”