CITY have not given up on Alex Gilliead and Matt Kilgallon playing a part in the play-offs.

The injured duo have both stepped up their recovery plans this week.

Neither will be ready for the remaining five games of the League One campaign but Stuart McCall believes there is a chance of them being back in the mix if the Bantams can extend their season into next month.

On-loan Newcastle winger Gilliead has missed the last four games after tearing his hamstring against Coventry, while Kilgallon has been sidelined since January following an operation to repair a pectoral muscle.

Gilliead has remained with City to work on his rehabilitation, rather than return to his parent club. He has started jogging again but McCall insists it is still a gradual process.

The City boss said: "You've got that bit of progression from walking to be able to be out there jogging again – but it's the next step that is the big one.

"Don't expect massive leaps because you've got to build things up again and progress towards checking and turning and going at full speed.

"But from the mental side of it, being outside running on grass is a step forward. We are where the specialist said he would be at this point.

"Killa falls into that category as well. You see him every day working hard in the gym and he's good to have in and around the dressing room.

"I don't think they would be ready short term before the end of the season but if we managed to kick on (and reach the play-offs), then hopefully they might be."

Gilliead remains confident that City will rubberstamp their place in the top six.

He said: "We're up near the top for a reason. It's not just by accident or down to luck.

"Everyone knows the jobs we've got to do and the atmosphere is pretty relaxed. We just want to carry on how we've been playing."

Southend could force a three-way tie with Fleetwood and City on 69 points if they beat Bolton tonight, while Millwall also play their game in hand at Shrewsbury.

But McCall will not be getting too hung up on how their play-off rivals are doing. He said: "I'll obviously look for the results but I won't be studying it all through the 90 minutes.

"It's always good to get a helping hand but we need to do it ourselves. Keep concentrating on getting the three points like we did on Saturday and then you can look elsewhere."

Nicky Law is being put through a tough couple of days at Woodhouse Grove after making his comeback as a late substitute against Walsall.

The influential midfielder's eight-minute outing was his first since tweaking a knee in February.

McCall said: "We were 50-50 whether to play him but I think it was the right decision to ease him back off the bench. He'll be stronger for another week's training."

Meanwhile, City fans snapped up 16,502 season-tickets during the first phase of the club's early-bird sales.

Tickets are now available at £169 for adults, £99 for under-16s and £5 under-11s until Sunday, April 16 before they will increase again.