PHIL Parkinson insists that any trialists offered deals by City will be more than just makeweights.

The Bantams boss will use today's monthly board meeting to stress the need for greater numbers in his slimline squad.

Parkinson has been assessing a host of trialists during pre-season and has not ruled out looking at more before the season kicks off a week on Saturday.

But he stressed that anyone he decides to keep on will be there on merit, not just necessity.

"I need to discuss things with the board at the meeting," said Parkinson.

"At the moment we've got 14-15 senior players and one goalkeeper signed up. That's not enough.

"We need to add to it, certainly before the end of August but if possible before next week.

"But we don't want to get bodies in for the sake of it. We want to get players we can trust to wear a Bradford City shirt when the season kicks off – that's the key.

"It's no good getting people in here just to sit on the bench because obviously we've got scholars who can do that.

"They have got to be players we feel can make contributions. They've got to be able to threaten the starting 11."

City fielded nine trialists in Tuesday's friendly at Park Avenue, a game hastily drawn up specifically for that purpose.

Parkinson said: "We've obviously seen them in training but some of the trialists needed a game. It was arranged at short notice but I think it was a worthwhile exercise.

"We threw a team together and the attitude was spot on. A few of them did themselves no harm and will be involved against Hartlepool on Saturday."

With so many players still without clubs, Parkinson will continue to scan the market for possible further arrivals ahead of the big kick-off against Coventry.

The City boss said: "There are players who maybe have been at Championship clubs who haven't got anything. There's that kind of scenario going on.

"It's not as if we're on our own. There are other clubs in the northern area looking for players. Clubs like Blackpool and Doncaster are looking because they haven't got many in."