Jamie Lawrence wants City to join the First Division's middle men. The tough-tackling midfielder, who is set to quit the club in the summer, is targeting a mid-table finish.

And he believes it is well within City's grasp if they can keep churning out the performances like the 2-0 win at Coventry.

Lawrence said: "We have to look above ourselves and not at the teams at the bottom end of the table. We've now reached the same points as Preston and if we beat Walsall on Saturday we can start making our move.

"With a few of the experienced boys now coming back I don't see any reason why we can't keep pushing upwards. I think we can comfortably finish somewhere in the middle."

Lawrence and David Wetherall both returned at Highfield Road and Peter Atherton should be back for the weekend after a virus.

With Andy Myers slowly building up after a double hernia operation, there will soon be real competition for places.

But a win against Walsall is vital as City look to increase the nine-point buffer on the bottom three.

Lawrence could have been lining up for the away team on Saturday but for his fractured jaw.

Lawrence, who will again wear a protective jelly-like mask, said: "It's a bit strange to think I could have been playing for the other team. But it doesn't bother me or put me off.

"The Walsall thing never disrupted anything in the first place. I'm paid to play football and I just go out and do my job as well as I can. I'm in the shop window for the rest of the season and I hope to help Bradford and myself by staying clear of injury and playing in every game I can."

Lawrence, who collected his fifth yellow card in the Coventry win, would also love to break his scoring duck for the campaign. It is exactly a year to the day since he last netted.

"I need to get one soon because it's been too long," he added. "Obviously it's more difficult if I'm doing a man-marking role although as long as I'm doing a decent job for the team I don't mind."

Andy Gray maintained his scoring streak with a goal for Scotland's Future side in their 1-1 draw with Turkey B in Antalya.

Meanwhile, City's trip to Burnley on March 8 will be off if the Clarets beat Fulham in their FA Cup fifth-round replay tonight.

If Burnley are in quarter-final action that weekend, the Bantams will look to fill the void by rescheduling the Crystal Palace home game for the third time.