GARY Bowyer is ready to begin drawing up his City strategy for the January transfer window.

With just over a month to go, the Bantams boss intends to speak with owner Stefan Rupp and chief executive Julian Rhodes to discuss a possible plan of action.

Bowyer recruited heavily during the summer to bring in 15 new faces as well as recently adding free agent Chris Taylor.

The mid-season window is always a tricky one – as City have found in the past couple of seasons – but he intends to be prepared.

Bowyer said: “Obviously it’s a conversation that will take place in the next week or two, for sure.

“Our focus has been on the games at this particular stage.

“The gap between games makes it a little bit easier.

“But to be fair, it’s only now that the agents have started.

“Generally speaking, the managers talking about (the transfer window) have probably been the newer ones.

“The managers who have been in place for a while have done most of their business in the summer.”

Bowyer will not reveal which areas he feels may need strengthening and there is always the possibility of loan players being recalled by their parent clubs.

The Eoin Doyle situation at Swindon is also likely to impact on what could happen, although neither club have commented publicly on whether there is a similar clause in his season-long loan.

Bowyer admits that any business will depend on the fitness of long-term casualties such as Clayton Donaldson, Matty Palmer, Jordan Gibson and Jamie Devitt.

He added: “With who we’ve got coming back from injury, you need to see where they are and how far off they are or not.

“You’ve got to keep an open mind and then you go from there. It will also be dependent on who is available.

“It is traditionally a difficult window and we will only be looking at people that we feel add to the squad.

“I’m not just bringing in somebody for the sake of it, if we’re allowed to do that. They’ve got to be game ready as well.”

Donaldson, who has been sidelined since the Morecambe game in mid-October, is waiting for the signal to step up his recovery following his toe surgery.

“He’s got a meeting with the specialist in the next couple of days,” said Bowyer. “Hopefully then, he’ll be given the green light to progress to the next stage.

“But at least now he’s started to be a little bit more mobile and gone up to the gym.

“As long as he’s doing the right things and looking after it properly, then hopefully he’ll get good news from the specialist.”

Kelvin Mellor missed training at the start of the week as a precaution following his knock at Plymouth. But Bowyer expects him to be available for the Macclesfield trip.