RORY McArdle feels there is no need for City to get fixated with other results in the play-off picture.

Seventh-placed Barnsley play their game in hand against Oldham tonight and would cut the gap to the Bantams to five points with a win.

City would also lose third spot if there is a winner between Gillingham and Walsall at the Priestfield Stadium.

But with Phil Parkinson's side the current form team in League One, McArdle will not be obsessing over how their rivals are doing.

He said: "I'll probably leave it be. I might have a little glance (at the scores) every now and again but it's nothing we can control.

"We've got ourselves in a position now where it is in our hands. We've not really had that all season."

A run of six wins in seven has halved the deficit on Burton in the second automatic promotion place in the space of a month. City are now six points behind going into the final five games.

McArdle said: "It's a different sort of pressure now. A few more wins can cement that position a little bit more.

"If anyone at the top starts slipping up a little bit, without getting too far ahead of ourselves, we want to be in a position to take advantage."

If City do fall short of gate-crashing an automatic place, a finish in third or fourth would still guarantee home advantage for the second leg of the play-off semi-finals.

McArdle refuses to look too far ahead and just wants to make sure they secure a slot in the top six.

"When it gets to the last few games, people might start looking at things and working out who you'd rather play," he said.

"Whether it gets that tactical, I don't know. Everyone will probably just concentrate on the game in front.

"I don't think you want to start trying to work out where you're going to finish, otherwise you might end up here, there and everywhere.

"We've shown we can take points off anyone and whoever it is, we'll ultimately be happy just to finish in the play-offs."

The defender was on the bench on Saturday but has not featured since being taken off with a dislocated shoulder in the goalless draw at Bury.

City have conceded just twice in McArdle's absence – with Nathan Clarke outstanding as his replacement – and the Northern Ireland international admits the positive results have aided his recovery.

He said: "It's been great. As disappointing as it was for me to get injured, it's helped massively that the lads have carried on with that momentum.

"There would have been nothing worse with me coming in a bit down with the injury and us not getting the results on the pitch. Then all of a sudden it's a negative vibe.

"But now everything's nice and positive. You can just see around the training ground that everyone's buzzing and I think that's showing on the pitch."

McArdle is still considering summer surgery to fix his shoulder – but he came through unscathed from a full 90-minute test in the reserves at Wigan last week and has no worries with it for now.

He said: "I wanted to get used to that contact with my shoulder again. I've tried to use it as much as I can in training but the lads have been aware of it and tried to pull out a little bit.

"They've been great and not tried to smash me. But at the same time, I would rather someone did that and it's out the way and done then.

"So it was good to have a 'neutral' game last week. They had a big lad up top who I tried to have a wrestle with. I probably shouldn't have but it was just to get used to it again and the shoulder felt fine."

McArdle is not involved in this afternoon's home reserve game against Shrewsbury but Billy Knott, Chris Routis and Greg Leigh are expected to play.