Phil Parkinson wants City to spend their unexpected winter break in the play-off zone.

The Bantams are currently holding off a gaggle of clubs for sixth spot.

With no FA Cup involvement next weekend, he is aiming to still be above the line when they return to action in a fortnight.

He said: “You’ve got to have mini targets and this is one for us now. We’ve gone to MK Dons and won and got the point on Tuesday – can we make that point a really good one with another win tomorrow?

“We want to go into the break in good spirits. We’ll need an all out effort because they are on a good run but a win keeps us in the top six – there’s that carrot definitely.”

There is no margin for error to achieve that, with only two points separating City from tenth spot. And they face an Oldham side boosted by a run of four straight wins – their best form in seven years.

Latics chief Lee Johnson has already targeted Sunday as a game the hosts have to win to lift their own top-six ambitions.

Parkinson added: “It’s going to be really competitive, right to the last minute of the game.

“I’ve seen Oldham a few times and they are quite an energetic team. They have been in this division a long time and every year will go into it looking at the play-offs.

“You see what Yeovil did last year under Lee’s dad (Gary Johnson). Everybody has got those aspirations and, from what I’ve seen, there are plenty capable of achieving that.”

City are back to health with Caleb Folan the only senior player still being affected by the week’s sickness bug.